Man gets 20 years in Portland-area shovel-beating death

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) – A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the fatal beating of a 68-year-old man in suburban Portland.

Michael Troxell received his punishment Wednesday after pleading guilty to manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon. There is no possibility of early release.

Washington County investigators said the victim, Abdul Jamil Kamawal, was beaten with a shovel outside a house under construction on his property in February 2016. His body was hidden under straw.

Troxell had been hired to work on the property.

Kamawal was a retired survey technician from Washington County’s Land Use & Transportation department. He founded two non-profit organizations that helped rebuild communities in Afghanistan.