Court Tosses Some Counts In ‘Redmond 5’ Murder

The Oregon Supreme Court ruled Thursdayin a notorious Central Oregon murder case that aconviction for aggravated murder can be limited to the person who actually committed the murder, in some cases.

Justin Alan Link was 17 in March2001 when he and four friendskilledBarbara Thomas, 52, the mother of one of the friends, and stole her car.

The court ruledthat Link took part in preparations for the murder but was not present when one friend shot Thomas.

Aggravated murder can result in the death penalty. But Link was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His case goes back to the trial court.

District Attorney Mike Dugan says that ruling won’t free or revoke the sentence of life without parole againstLink. “We don’t believe this is going to have any effect on the ultimate sentence that Justin link had,” he said. “It’s going to be life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole.”

Link was caught at the Canadian border in the victim’s car, along with four other teens in the so-called ‘Redmond 5, whose trials and court proceedings lasted two years.

The others included Thomas’s 18-year-old son, Adam, 15-year-old Seth Kochwho fired the fatal shot, and two girls, 16-year-old Lucretia Karle and 15-year-old Ashley Summers.

The boys received life sentences without the possibility of parole, called “true life,” and the girls received 25-year prison terms.The state’s high court says a conviction for felony aggravated murder is limited to the person who actually committed the murder.

Before Thomas arrived home from work, the teens coldly discussed and planned various ways to kill her – emptying wine bottles, filling a hypodermic needle with bleach, filling the bathtub and putting a hair dryer and radio by it.

Link went outside the home along the Old Bend-Redmond Highway and kept in touch with the others by cell phone.

After she got home, Adam Thomas and Koch hit her several times with the bottles, also kicking her after she fell.

But when she was able to stand up and reach the back porch, Link saw her and asked the other boys, ‘Why isn’t she dead yet? Get her back in the house. Shoot her. Get the gun.'”

All refused to do so, except Koch, saying they should put her out of her misery. Dugan said a judgment in the case should be received in about 30 days, after which Link might need to return to Bend for a new sentencing.

Link was convicted on five counts of aggravated murder, three of which were felony murder. The other two, which he did not appeal, involved a theory of murder to conceal other crimes or the identity of the perpetrators, the DA said.

When the case returns, the trial court will impose the “true life” sentence on counts4 and 5, while the other three will have a judgment of acquittal.

You can read the court’s full ruling by clicking here.