Families of two Bend teen murder victims sue their killer and his partner for $14 million

(Update: Adding attorney comments on why lawsuit was filed)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Two family members of a young Bend couple brutally murdered at a southwest Bend home in August 2022 have sued their convicted killer and his romantic partner for $14 million, accusing them of plying the pair with alcohol and marijuana as part of a plan to have sex with them.

The 15-page civil lawsuit filed Friday in Deschutes County Circuit Court laid out sordid new alleged details regarding the events leading up to the beating death of Alfredo Hernandez and strangulation of Angela Pastorino, both 18 at the time and engaged to be married.

The plaintiffs are Jennifer Grigg, Pastorino’s mother, and Hernandez’s brother, Joel Houser, serving as representatives of the two teens' estates.

Wesley Brady was sentenced last year to life in prison without parole for killing the teens, who had gone to the home on Mount Faith Place to help the homeowner, Melissa Adams, remove carpet and do other work to prepare the house for sale. It claims the pair had “formulated a plan to engage in group sex and/or swapping partners” with the teens – a plan “they did not share with the two.”

The lawsuit also relates Brady’s violent criminal history, including ritualistic fires set inside a historic Bend home in 2018 and vile acts involving puppies and dogs.

According to the lawsuit, Brady was diagnosed as bipolar and “was not taking his medications, making him prone to agitation and impulse aggression.” It also said Brady lived with and had group sex with the homeowner, who reportedly is a licensed clinical social worker and was one of Brady’s mental health assessors. It also said Adams’ daughter was Pastorino’s best friend.

The lawsuit claims Brady and the homeowner, with whom he’d had “non-traditional sexual acts, including group sex and partner swapping,” provided the teens with “a large amount of alcohol and marijuana.”

“All four began drinking and using marijuana at approximately 3 p.m. that day and continued drinking and using drugs throughout the day and well into the night,” the suit claims, ”and all became heavily intoxicated.”

While at the home, the teen couple also began “strenuously arguing” over jealousy issues, the lawsuit claims.

After the homeowner passed out on a couch, Hernandez became upset by physical contact between Pastorino and Adams. He “verbally confronted” Brady, who then grabbed a nearby sawed-off trunk of a Christmas tree and struck Hernandez in the head three times, causing him to fall to the ground and lose consciousness, the lawsuit states.

Pastorino then jumped on Brady, trying to stop the assault on Hernandez and screaming at him. Brady punched her several times and strangled her, then placed duct tape over her mouth. The lawsuit claims Brady then watched Hernandez struggle to live for “upwards of two hours” before he died of his injuries.

Asked about the reasons for the lawsuit, Bend attorney Tim Williams, who filed it for the families, provided this statement to NewsChannel 21:

"Concerning the reason for the lawsuit, Ms. Adams was not criminally charged.  As of now, she’s skirted any responsibility for the liability she created. Indeed, she’s sold her house, moved to the Portland area, and has seemingly enjoyed her time since the murders – in stark contrast to the suffering of the respective families.  Allowing her to do so would be neither fair nor just, when the families have lost so much. 

"Moreover, while the law enforcement personnel did a fantastic job of interviewing the witnesses concerning the events of that night, we would be seeking much more clarification of the events leading up to the murders, including a deeper dive into her relationship with Mr. Brady and the kids, etc.

"Concerning Mr. Brady himself, despite being locked up, he wrote and published a book (and hence has income) based on his prior acts in and around Bend.  He also owned, or possibly still owns, real estate. Moreover, you never know if or when someone will come into an inheritance, Mr. Brady included. 

"Thus, the civil suit against him is meant to ensure that whatever money he has or may have will go to compensate the families for their terrible losses, as opposed to pay for whatever conveniences and amenities he is allowed behind bars. Additionally, we hope to put into better context some factual questions we have that the law enforcement investigation didn’t completely cover, or that have come up since the investigation was complete."