Self-defense or homicide? No answer yet in Bend death
According to Shane Munoz’s mother, Kathy Gilliam, the 33-year-old was shot in the stomach on June 24th. Munoz died where he was shot, in another Bend man’s home early that morning on Awbrey Butte.
“It was so violent, so sudden and so unexpected,” Gilliam, who lives in California, said Tuesday.
Munoz’s killer was the owner of the home at 2461 NW Awbrey Road, Kevin Perry. Police reports shortly after the death said Perry came home with his girlfriend, found his front door busted open and Munoz inside.
After the deadly altercation between all three, a forensics team took over the neighborhood.
“I don’t think there’s anything he could have done to deserve him being shot to death,” said Gilliam.
The night of his death, Munoz was drinking at Silver Moon, where he was asked to leave. Leaving his bike at the brewery, Munoz wound up at Perry’s home more than a mile away.
Did he know Perry before that deadly night? That’s a question police and the district attorney’s office can’t answer while the investigation is ongoing.
“Maybe he ran into him somewhere downtown and was invited there,” said Gilliam. “That’s the only thing that makes sense to us.”
After the deadly shooting, Perry hired one of the best defense attorneys in the state, Stephen Houze.
“My prayer is that he’ll come forward if there’s something that needs to be said and tell the truth,” Gilliam said of Perry.
Oregon law allows you to use deadly force, if you fear your life is endangered.
“I think there should be some proof that their lives were threatened,” said Gilliam. “It wasn’t like they were in the home, and he broke in and was acting crazy. They walked into the situation. There’s other things that could have been done.”
We made calls to both Perry and his girlfriend, who was with him the night of the shooting. Neither was returned.
Perry has never been charged in Munoz’s death, but the case isn’t closed, the DA’s office couldn’t comment on whether there will be any charges in the case.
