Bend-area hero talks of helping hammer-attack victim

A Central Oregon veteran is fighting for his life after he was attacked with a hammer by his roommate while he was asleep.

According to Deschutes County sheriff’s investigators, Terry Trask, 63, was hit with a hammer while sleeping at 3:30 a.m. Sunday at home on the Old Bend-Redmond Highway. They said the alleged attacker Matthew Planteen, 34, then dragged Trask around the home for hours, while continuing to strike him with a hammer.

It took 12 hours for Trask to reach his phone and call for help from a friend.

“He was going to kill Terry,” friend Dennis Weinsheimer said Wednesday.

Weinsheimer, who goes by Jim, said he received a missed call and a voicemail from Trask, his voice muffled.

“Last part I could understand was, ‘Dennis, I’m in my bed in my bedroom, please help me,’ Weinsheimer said.

Weinsheimer said he dropped everything and rushed to his friend’s house with his wife — and a baseball bat. When they arrived, Weinsheimer went inside.

“It was dark. I went inside. I found Terry in his bed, blood all over. Blood all over the wall, by his bed, all over Terry, all over the floor. I asked what happened and he said, ‘Matt beat me with a hammer,'” he said.

Trask had taken in Planteen, who was from out of the area and homeless, gave him a place to stay and tried to help him get back on his feet and find a job. But after several failed attempts, Trask told Planteen to leave his home. As he was trying to help the seriously injured Trask, Weinsheimer came face to face with the alleged attacker.

Weinsheimer said Planteen was coming out of the bathroom and had cleaned up, and told him he had sleep-walked and thought the victim was an intruder.

Weinsheimer said he held Planteen at a distance with the bat until emergency crews arrived and took Trask to the hospital.

Trask suffered blunt force trauma to his skull, and his friend said he’s still in critical condition.

“It’s going to be a long road to recovery — a very long road to recovery,” Weinsheimer said.

Planteen faces several charges including attempted aggravated murder. He’s expected to be in court on Feb. 20.