“He likes to stab people”, said one suspect in my son’s murder case about the other.
One of the first two suspects in my son’s case was one of the darkest individuals I’ve ever encountered. He was only involved in the case a short time but his memory still makes my blood run cold.
In one affidavit he told police the other suspect liked to stab people, but in reality it was a total lie fabricated to drum up attention for his homicidal personality. (I go into detail in my book).
Violent crime isn’t an easy topic to talk about, but I felt compelled to share this aspect of Marc’s case so readers know the kind of terror, evil I stumbled across while trying to get justice for my son.
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Court docs: Murder suspect ‘likes to stab people’
PORTLAND, Ore. – The homeless men arrested in connection with a Portland man’s murder thought often about killing others, according to court documents released Tuesday.
Early on the morning of October 16, Marc Sundin was found dead on the corner of Southwest 4th Avenue and Madison Street. The Portland resident had been stabbed in the heart.
Four days later, two homeless men were arrested in connection with Sundin’s murder.
In a probable cause affidavit, Portland Police Detective Erik Kammerer described chilling details from the night Sundin died, obtained through security camera footage, along with interviews with witnesses and the defendants.
Just before the stabbing, surveillance video showed the suspects, 18-year-old W Curtis and a man police believed to be 23-year-old A Elder pursuing Sundin near the 7-Eleven on Southwest 4th Avenue and Taylor Street.
Kammerer said Sundin appeared to be changing his mind, attempting to run away.
Curtis could be seen holding what looked like a knife, with Elder apparently standing next to him. As Sundin began to back away, both suspects pursued him and Curtis appeared to shove Sundin down violently. Curtis then got up and “ran away with a burst of speed unlike any of [his] previous movements,” the court documents said.
A security guard at nearby Terry Shrunk Plaza said he could hear yelling, then saw Sundin staggering across Southwest 4th Avenue.
Sundin’s blood was found starting in the crosswalk of Southwest 4th and Main. When officers arrived they found Sundin dead one block away, his clothes soaked through in his blood. His body was covered in fresh bruises and scrapes.
Friends told KGW Sundin had a calm demeanor. “I would never have imagined him to be instigating or aggressive. He wasn’t that kind of guy at all,” said Josh Blythe, a friend and classmate from OCI.
Elder’s interview painted a much different picture of the suspects.
According to Detective Kammerer, Elder said he has “Bi-Polar Homicidal Disorder” that causes him to “automatically” imagine how he would kill someone the moment he meets them.
He seemed to know Curtis well, calling him by the nickname “Waffles.” Elder said Curtis enjoyed stabbing people, and preferred to have another person with him when he stabs a victim.
Elder has previously been convicted of sex crimes but failed to register as a sex offender, according to court documents.
A woman who identified herself as Elder’s wife told KGW he had nothing to do with the attack and was with her that entire night. Detectives said the surveillance video disproved her claim.
Curtis was arrested on five charges including murder. He was being held without bail.
Elder was arrested on charges of assault, attempted assault and unlawful use of a weapon, but all of those charges were dropped and he was released.
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Articles like this were the source of our sketchy introduction to the underbelly of the Portland, OR crime world. In the early stages of the investigation I couldn’t bear to read any of this, but listened as others spoke briefly about them. Mr Elder was the one who I felt terrorized us, not the actual defendants, who ended up being quiet teens.
Mr. Elder set the whole case up to seem like a total nightmare. He was a thrill seeker specializing in conspiracy, physical assaults and contempt for the law. I wonder if I could have been so forgiving in the end if the real offender ended up being him!
Somehow I can now talk about what it’s like to live thru a real life murder investigation, and come out with something to be hopeful about ~