Prineville man gets 20 years for stabbing 2 women

A Crook County judge sentenced a 26-year-old Prineville man to 20 years in prison Monday for the January 2017 stabbing of two women, District Attorney Wade Whiting announced.

Anthony James Smith entered no-contest pleas before Circuit Judge Daniel Ahern to two counts each of first-degree assault, first-degree attempted rape and first-degree burglary. He also was ordered to register as a sex offender under a negotiated plea presented to the court, Whiting said.

Smith, a former security guard at the Facebook data center, initially was charged with two counts of attempted murder and kidnapping.

Whiting said Smith made a brief statement in court, apologizing for his actions and expressing hope that the victims someday will be able to forgive him. He said the courtroom was filled with family and friends of the two women.

As is common at sentencing hearings, both victims also gave victim impact statements, one reading her own and the other read by that woman’s grandmother, the district attorney said.

The victim who spoke in court “gave a heartfelt statement about the impact the crime had on her life and her sense of security going forward,” Whiting said.

The remarks read by the other victim’s grandmother also were “very touching,” the DA said, and at the end, “the grandmother turned to (Smith) and expressed a hope that while in prison he would seek out programs that would help him to rehabilitate.”

The district attorney provided details in a news release about what transpired the night of the crime:

At about 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2017, Prineville police received a report of a female who had been stabbed in the throat and yelling for help. Officers Jordan Uppendahl, Jerod Caddell and Sergeant Jimmy O’Daniel immediately responded to the scene and arrived in less than three minutes.

As the officers rushed to the apartment, they made contact with the first female victim, who had a significant amount of blood on her and was holding her neck trying to prevent further bleeding, the DA said.

The victim was able to tell the officers that the assailant was still upstairs. A neighbor who was providing aid to the victim directed the officers to the specific apartment, telling them the male was upstairs and acting “crazy.”

The officers then heard another female subject in distress upstairs. The armed officers immediately ran upstairs into the apartment. In the back bedroom, the officers found the defendant partially clothed and covered in blood from head to toe.

Smith was lying on top of another wounded female victim on the floor. The victim had suffered a significant cut to the right side of her face and there appeared to have been a large struggle/fight due to the amount of blood covering the surroundings.

With their weapons drawn, the officers gave several verbal commands for Smith to show his hands. He initially grabbed the victim and rolled onto his side, placing the victim between himself and the armed officers.

Uppendahl continued to demand he comply with commands and show his hands, which defendant eventually did. As Uppendahl and O’Daniel continued to Smith down at gunpoint, Caddell was able to rescue the victim off the ground and rush her outside for medical treatment. Smith was immediately taken into custody and transported to the jail.

Both victims were rushed to St. Charles Prineville ER for treatment of their significant injuries. Due to the serious risk of death associated with stab wounds to this area of the body, the women were transferred by Air Link helicopter to St. Charles Bend for more intensive treatment.

During the investigation, it was determined that Smith was the next-door neighbor of one of the victims but they did not know each other, Whiting said.

On the night of the attack, both victims were visiting in the back bedroom when they heard a noise coming from the front door of the apartment. The first woman went out to the living room and saw Smith kneeling down just inside the door to the apartment.

Smith then rushed at her, pushed her up against the wall and stabbed her in the neck with a knife. The second woman then yelled at Smith to leave the apartment, and he then turned his attention towards her, Whiting said. While he was distracted, the first victim ran from the apartment to get help from the neighbors downstairs. They immediately called 911.

As Smith chased the second victim, he tackled her to the ground in the bedroom, stabbed her in the face/cheek area and demanded that she removed her clothing, Whiting said. Smith continued to hold the wounded victim at knifepoint, threatening her to follow his commands.

Despite her serious injury, the woman fought back and hit Smith in the head with an object, causing a struggle to ensue. Ultimately, Smith overpowered the victim, forced her to the ground and was in the process of attempting the sexual assault when the three officers rushed in and rescued her.

“The Crook County District Attorney’s Office is appreciative of the heroic efforts of both the Prineville Police Department and the victims in this case,” Whiting wrote.

“In responding to this dangerous situation so quickly, Officers Jordan Uppendahl, Jerod Caddell and Sergeant Jimmy O’Daniel were able to successfully prevent a violent sexual assault, defuse a hostage situation, placed the violent offender under arrest and arrange for emergency medical care of the victims all in a matter of minutes. Their courage and dedication in protecting our community is commendable.

“Equally heroic in this tragic event was the display of friendship from the two victims. As the first victim was being attacked, the second victim came to her aid and tried stop the defendant. When the defendant then chased after the second victim, the seriously wounded first victim ran for help to protect her friend.

“Both victims have shown a tremendous amount of determination as they have recovered from their injuries. The District Attorney’s Office continues to be appreciative of the courage and cooperation the victims have shown throughout the resolution of this case,” Whiting said.

The State of Oregon was represented by Special Deputy Prosecutor Jeff Howes of the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and Chief Deputy District Attorney Raun Atkinson.