Redmond teens plead guilty in mom murder plot

Two Redmond teens who plotted to kill one’s mother, then burn down her house with her body inside were sentenced Thursday in a negotiated plea deal that Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel said strived to strike a balance between tough and fair.

Dakota Ortwein and Reyanne West, both 17, pleaded guilty in connection with the May 19th assault of Ortwein’s mother.

Ortwein pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, while West pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon and second-degree attempted assault, “based on the theory that she conspired with Ortwein to commit the crimes,” Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel said in a news release.

Hummel said the teens planned to kill Ortwein’s mother, then burn down her house with her body left inside.

In execution of the plan, the DA said Ortwein hid in the house he shares with his mother — and when she arrived home, he sprayed her with pepper-spray, then began striking her on her head with a baseball bat.

“Fortunately, Ortwein’s mother, after being struck numerous times in her head, was able to wrestle the bat away from her son and call 911,” Hummel said. “Redmond police quickly responded to the scene and took Ortwein into custody.”

Deschutes County Circuit Court Judge Brady sentenced Ortwein to 70 months and West to 20 months incarceration. The convictions West and Ortwein received are adult convictions. However, they will serve their time in custody in juvenile correctional facilities until they are 18, and subsequently so long as approved by the Oregon Youth Authority.

“We don’t know what drives a child to commit such a horrific act against his mother,” Hummel said in a statement. “Regardless of the motive, a crime such as this must result in a significant punishment to convey that our community does not stand for this type of violence.”

“At the same time,” he added, “our hearts might seek vengeance, our heads know that science reveals adolescent brains have weak brakes. The sentence I negotiated strikes a balance between tough, with Ortwein serving 70 months in-custody, and fair, by crafting sentences that authorize these kids to serve time in a juvenile facility.”

Hummel concluded: “My sympathies are with the Ortwein and West’s families as they continue to grapple with the reality of what these kids did.”