Robbery was motive for murder, sheriff says - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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2015-09-18

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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation  |  Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED   » NEWS NOW   Campfires now allowed at most state parks in Oregon       ...       Fugitive caught, sentenced in Ashland home-invasion robbery       ...       Attacker steals man's concealed handgun in Walmart bathroom, police say       ...       Campfires now allowed at most state parks in Oregon       ...       Fugitive caught, sentenced in Ashland home-invasion robbery       ...       Attacker steals man's concealed handgun in Walmart bathroom, police say       ...           Robbery was motive for murder, sheriff says Second suspect was a person of interest from the beginning Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters is confident robbery was the motive behind the slaying of an Ashland man earlier this month. Comment By RYAN PFEIL MailTribune.com By RYAN PFEIL Posted Oct. 22, 2013 at 2:00 AM Updated Oct 22, 2013 at 10:10 AM By RYAN PFEIL Posted Oct. 22, 2013 at 2:00 AM Updated Oct 22, 2013 at 10:10 AM »  RELATED CONTENT • Medford man pleads guilty to Ashland burglary, murder • Accused murderer Campos seeks to delay extradition to Jackson County... • Second suspect arrested for Ashland murder • Second suspect indicted in death of Ashland man • Family of murder suspect claims he's not the killer • Arrest made in Ashland homicide • Victim of Ashland homicide identified • Fatality in Ashland a mystery »  Social News Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters is confident robbery was the motive behind the slaying of an Ashland man earlier this month. Now it's up to the courts to decide the fate of two Medford men who've been arrested and charged with Frank Damiano's murder, he said. "I think at this point we have closure to this case, except for the trial," Winters said at a press conference Monday. Roommates Othon Robert Campos Jr., 41, and Merlin Elmo Bound III, 34, are accused of robbing and killing 62-year-old Damiano of Ashland. Bound was arrested at his Medford home on Oct. 15 and remains in the Jackson County Jail without bail. He has been indicted on two counts of murder, two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of first-degree burglary. Court records show a pre-trial conference has been scheduled for Nov. 4. Campos was arrested Saturday in Vancouver, Wash., and remains in the Clark County Jail awaiting extradition. A grand jury indicted him on the same charges as Bound last week, along with an additional charge of aggravated felony murder. "He became a person of interest on Oct. 11," Winters said. "At that time we couldn't discuss the fact we were looking for him." After the sheriff's department put out word to police agencies in Vancouver and Portland — where Campos was thought to have traveled — U.S. marshals tracked him to an undisclosed location in Vancouver. Winters wouldn't comment on specifics regarding the arrest but praised law enforcement for being able to track Campos down. "This was handled expeditiously and very quickly," Winters said. Jackson County District Attorney Beth Heckert has said Campos is suspected of being the one who committed the murder. He likely will be extradited to Jackson County to face his charges sometime this week unless he fights the extradition. "Then it'll take longer," Heckert said. "We just have to prove to Washington he was, in fact, the person we were looking for." Damiano, who was also known by the name Tony Della Penna, was found dead at his home in the Bear Creek Mobile Home Park outside Ashland on Oct. 10 during a welfare check by police. "He hadn't been seen for a couple of days," Winters said. "Some of his neighbors were concerned." Winters said Damiano died from a "sharp force trauma," but would not elaborate and also declined to comment on the property taken from the home. Heckert said it appears Damiano and Campos knew each other, but specifics on their relationship are not known. "How well or whether he was just an acquaintance is not super clear at this point," Heckert said. "There isn't anything to suggest so far Mr. Bound knew the victim or had met the victim in the past." Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or by email at [email protected]. By RYAN PFEIL MailTribune.com By RYAN PFEIL Posted Oct. 22, 2013 at 2:00 AM Updated Oct 22, 2013 at 10:10 AM » 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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