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COURTS Ashland man's killer sentenced to 25 years to life "I close my eyes and shake my head at the sheer senselessness of it all," Othon Robert Campos Jr. says Comment By Thomas Moriarty For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Thomas Moriarty For the Tidings Posted Feb. 20, 2015 at 12:25 PM Updated Feb 20, 2015 at 9:19 PM By Thomas Moriarty For the Tidings Posted Feb. 20, 2015 at 12:25 PM Updated Feb 20, 2015 at 9:19 PM » Social News As Adam Damiano looked into the eyes of his father's killer, the words that came out of his mouth stunned the courtroom. More than a dozen friends and family of the late Frank Damiano had packed Jackson County Circuit Judge Lorenzo Mejia's courtroom Friday for the sentencing of Othon Robert Campos Jr. Campos, 43, had pleaded guilty Sept. 30, 2014, to charges of murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary in Damiano's 2013 killing, agreeing to testify against Merlin Elmo Bound III, his former roommate and alleged accomplice. Gathered together on one side of the gallery seating, shielding each other from the media, friends and family had wept as District Attorney Beth Heckert described how Campos and allegedly Bound had tied up 62-year-old Damiano, a former jewelry salesman, before fatally stabbing him and fleeing with his jewelry. Linda Kennedy, Damiano's ex-wife, told the court about the man she had fallen in love with on her first day of college after meeting him in a class. The couple married in 1973, and Linda gave birth to Adam a year later. They were married for 30 years before they divorced, parting, Kennedy said, as friends. Frank Damiano later moved to Ashland, where friends say he was a colorful character active in the town’s gay community and choral groups and was known for his collection of teddy bears. "I'm here to stand up for the Frank that I knew, out of love," Kennedy said, explaining that she bore no hatred for her ex-husband's killers. “I hope and I pray that if Mr. Campos is ever released, he can start being a benefit to society." When the younger Damiano spoke, holding his therapy dog in his arms, the sad murmur in the courtroom turned to tearful silence. "I forgive you," he said, his voice breaking. Campos looked down. "Look at me, Mr. Campos," Damiano pleaded. The man slowly raised his head and locked his red, weary eyes with those of his victim's son. "I forgive you because that's what my dad would want me to do," Damiano said. Damiano told Campos he felt sorry for him, having seen Facebook pictures of the son Campos would leave behind while in prison. "I hope the best for you," Damiano said. "I forgive you with all my heart." Campos, who appeared overwhelmed by the emotion in the courtroom, apologized for his actions in a brief statement. He told Mejia that he still had trouble wrapping his mind around what he'd done. "I close my eyes and shake my head at the sheer senselessness of it all," he said. "There's no way to understand this," Mejia said. Mejia told Campos he'd never heard remarks in his courtroom like those made by Damiano's family members. Their generosity, he said, gave him new hope for humanity, and he also hoped Campos would make the best of the life he has left. Mejia sentenced Campos to 25 years to life in prison for his role in the robbery and murder of Damiano on Oct. 7, 2013. As part of a plea agreement, the state dismissed additional charges, including aggravated murder, which could carry a sentence of death or life in prison without parole. Heckert said she had planned to hold Campos' sentencing after Bound's trial, which was originally scheduled for Jan. 20. But when Bound changed lawyers, the trial was pushed back to July, and Heckert said she decided it was better for everybody involved to get Campos' sentencing out the way. She told the court that Campos had known Damiano and had been to his home before the murder. Investigators believe that Campos had made previous arrangements to come over to Damiano's home that day and had persuaded Bound to help him rob the man of his jewelry. Campos’ lawyer, Geoffrey Gokey, confirmed his client's central role in the crime. “The very first thing he told me, your honor, was that this was all his fault,” Gokey said. An Ashland police officer discovered Damiano’s body Oct. 10 while conducting a welfare check. Police arrested Bound five days later, but Campos fled to Vancouver, Wash., where he was eventually arrested by deputy U.S. marshals and where investigators recovered some of Damiano's property. In addition to the charges from Damiano's murder, Campos also entered an Alford plea to a separate charge of second-degree burglary, stemming from allegations he had stolen cash from the offices of Valley Cab, his former employer. The plea allows Campos to maintain his innocence while acknowledging the state had enough evidence for a jury to likely convict him at trial. Mejia sentenced him to six months in prison, to run concurrently with the sentence in the Damiano murder case. If Campos is ever released on parole, he'll spend the rest of his life under post-prison supervision for the murder conviction, the judge said. Mejia also ordered him to pay $3,251.22 in funeral costs and $1,540 in restitution for the cab company burglary. Speaking outside of court, Kennedy said she'd never been prouder of the man she and Frank had raised than when she heard her son speaking to Campos. "For 30 years, I was Linda Kennedy-Damiano," she said. "I'm now Linda Kennedy, in love with Frank Damiano." Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at [email protected]. Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty.  By Thomas Moriarty For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Thomas Moriarty For the Tidings Posted Feb. 20, 2015 at 12:25 PM Updated Feb 20, 2015 at 9:19 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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