Close friend of Bend double-homicide victims protests no arrests after 6 months

DA John Hummel says investigation still active: 'Justice will be done'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Nearly six months have passed since two of Josh Pardee's close friends were killed in what police quickly determined was a double-homicide inside their northeast Bend home -- and still, no arrests.

That led Pardee and a friend to stage a small protest in downtown Bend on Sunday.

“I want our community firstly, not to forget Ray (Atkinson) or Natasha (Newby) but their case, too,” Pardee said. “Seven months -- I’m sure that our community has forgotten that it even happened. Here we are, with dangerous person or persons, while we’re sleeping at night in Central Oregon.”

Pardee and his friend stood at the corner of Wall Street and Greenwood Avenue, an attempt to make sure others remember the crime, are aware police still have not arrested any suspects -- and to again ask why.

His friend's bodies were found last August in the basement of their Northeast 12th Street home. Police said a short time later there was no danger to the community, but have said little publicly since.

Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel told NewsChannel 21 on Sunday that his office and Bend police have been working intensely on the case, but are still unable to press charges against any suspects.

“We’re aligned with the family and friends," Hummel said. We want to hold their killers accountable. And I assume that they don’t want us to arrest the wrong person. And I’ll also assume they don’t want us to arrest the right person -- and have that person be acquitted by a jury because there is insufficient evidence.”

Back in December, Hummel held a news conference to update this and several other outstanding cases. He said a backlog in evidence processing by the Oregon State Police Crime lab was one reason investigators have not yet charged anyone.

Pardee disagreed Sunday, saying more than enough time has passed in order to charge a suspect with the crime.

“It should be top priority to be solving a double-homicide inside someone’s home, while they were home, locked away, thinking that they were safe,” Pardee said.

When told that Pardee was going to protest and demand justice for Atkinson and Newby, Hummel said:

“I fully support people out there advocating for justice for Ray and Natasha," he said. "They are in the streets advocating for that, I’m in my office advocating for that, with my team and the Bend Police Department.

"Family and friends of Ray and Natasha need to know that I stand with them. I am working daily to try and bring their killer to justice. I’m confident that at the end of the day, we will end up filing charges against the right person and we will obtain a conviction. Justice will be done.”