Bend man sentenced to 18 months for 2022 fatal shooting at Mayfield Pond

(Update: Adding video)

Victim's sister speaks at brief sentencing hearing

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Bend man was sentenced to 18 months in prison Thursday after pleading no contest to criminally negligent homicide in the fatal shooting of another Bend man last summer at the Mayfield Pond recreation site east of town.

Jesse Aaron Ray, 40, entered the plea after a settlement conference last month.

When Deschutes County Circuit Judge Wells Ashby asked at Thursday’s brief sentencing hearing whether there was anything he wished to say before he imposed sentence, Ray, appearing by video from the county jail, replied, “Uh, no, there’s not.”

Ray initially faced lesser charges of negligently wounding another and unlawful use of a weapon in the weeks after the shooting death of Neil Martell, 53, last June at Mayfield Pond.

Authorities said Ray was target shooting in the area, into a berm used as a backstop. They said Martell and a friend were camping behind the berm and came out to warn the shooter they were there, but that Martell, obscured from view by trees, was struck by a bullet from about 200 yards away and killed.

After a grand jury indicted Ray on the more serious charge last fall, sheriff’s detectives located located him in Mexico. He was taken into custody by U.S. marshals, brought to the Los Angeles County Jail and arrested on a nationwide felony warrant. He was returned to Deschutes County in late December.

Ray initially pleaded not guilty, and a six-day trial was set to begin Feb. 7. It was canceled shortly before that date, and Judge Ashby spoke by phone with Martell's sister, who also spoke by telephone at Thursday’s sentencing.

The victim’s sister thanked the judge, detectives and the DA’s office “for keeping our family apprised” ot developments.

“I’d like to thank everyone for all the effort that they’ve done,” she said. “Thank you for the conviction that was received.”

Ashby said Ray would be eligible for credit for time already served in Bend and previously in Los Angeles, as well as “good time” reductions of his sentence and other programs, such as work release. The sentence will be followed by three years’ post-prison supervision.

No fine or fees were imposed, but Ashby kept the issue of possible restitution to the victim’s family open for 90 days, and Ray’s attorney said she would be visiting with him to speak about that.