Sentencing for man convicted in Portland train killings delayed

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The sentencing of a man convicted of fatally stabbing two men and injuring a third on a light-rail train in Portland in 2017 was delayed Tuesday when Jeremy Christian told a survivor he regretted not killing her.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports his hearing will continue Wednesday, to give more time to the victims and their families to make statements, before the judge hands down Christian’s prison sentence.

Christian was found guilty earlier this year on 12 counts, including those murders and attempted murder, as well as assault and intimidation. His sentencing was delayed due to COVID-19 issues.

At a minimum, Christian faces at least life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 30 years.

KGW reports Demetria Hester, a Black woman, said Christian threatened her and threw a bottle at her face the day before the MAX stabbings, leaving her with a black eye.

During Hester's testimony, she criticized police for letting Christian walk away the night he attacked her and blasted the judge for letting him yell things during the trial and wave and wink at victims.

At the end of her testimony, she told Christian, "When you die and go to hell, I hope you rot there." Christian said he'd see her there and stood up.

Officers quickly moved to detain Christian, and as he was being led out of the courtroom, he yelled that he should have killed Hester, called her a ***** and told her to "go back to Tennessee."