State Parole Board again denies release of Bend ‘thrill killer’ Jeffrey Spoonire, who shot, killed jogger in 1982

(Update: Adding DA Steve Gunnels' reaction)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- More than 40 years after Jeffrey Spoonire admitted to fatally shooting a woman jogging west of Bend in one of the region's most notorious killings -- and was dubbed the "thrill killer" at the time -- the state Parole Board has once again denied his request for release from prison.

Spoonire is serving a life sentence for the 1982 murder of Mary Ann Thomas. The Parole Board found that Spoonire continues to have a present, severe emotional disturbance that would pose a danger to the safety of the community if he were to be released.

Thomas was a 29-year-old registered nurse at St. Charles Hospital in Bend. On July 13, 1982, she went for a jog with her two dogs on the Brooks Scanlon Logging Road west of Century Drive.

As she ran along the road, she was shot in the head by Spoonire, a 22-year-old Bend resident and a stranger to Thomas, who was perched on a nearby hill.

Spoonire would later explain that he was curious to see what a .22-caliber rifle round would do to a person and whether it would be enough to kill someone. After he shot Mary Ann Thomas, Spoonire then dragged her into some nearby brush, intending to rape her, prosecutors said.

Later that day, Thomas was found by her husband and taken to the hospital. She later died from her injuries.

Spoonire was charged with and pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole.

Last Sept. 7, the Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision Parole Board held a parole hearing in which Spoonire - who turns 63 next Saturday - asked to be considered for release into the community. It's a request the board previously denied several times over the years.

The board reviewed a psychological evaluation of Spoonire conducted last year. It also heard from Laura and Catherine Thomas, sisters of Mary Ann Thomas, from Marla Rae, representative of the family and victim, and Deschutes County Chief Deputy District Attorney (now DA) Steve Gunnels, who all argued against parole or release.

Laura and Catherine Thomas told the board that even after 40 years have passed, not a day goes by that Mary Ann’s family does not think about her and grieve her loss.

Ultimately, the Parole Board agreed with those opposing release and issued its final order denying parole on April 19.

Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels said, "I was pleased and relieved by the Parole Board’s decision to keep Jeffrey Spoonire in prison. I agree with their conclusion that he remains a significant threat to public safety if released into the community."

Spoonire, incarcerated at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, will be eligible to apply for parole again in 2027.