Man sentenced to life in Portland fatal light rail stabbings plans to appeal

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A man sentenced to life in prison for killing two men and injuring another during a racist rant on a Portland light-rail train is appealing his conviction.

KOIN-TV reports Jeremy Christian filed a notice of appeal on Dec. 2. The state has appointed Christian a lawyer.

A jury unanimously convicted Christian on 12 counts in February. In June, Judge Cheryl Albrecht sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders of Taliesin Namkai-Meche and Ricky Best. Christian stabbed them to death and wounded Micah Fletcher in May 2017.

Prosecutors said Namkai-Meche and Fletcher had intervened after hearing Christian’s racist rantings, which appeared to be directed at two Black teenagers.