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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 Home News Latest Stories OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Medford airport seeding fog to help with airplane takeoffs, landings 10 things to know for Wednesday Get Up & Go: Jan. 7 Emergency services Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services UPDATED: Medford police arrest man suspected in Purple Parrot robbery State police arrest two for meth, heroin trafficking after I-5 stop Muddy footprints lead police right to burglary suspect's door Talent men arraigned on attempted murder, assault charges Politics and Elections Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Education Medford bulks up student support for math, reading Ashland schools to implement chickenpox precautions Traveling artist sets the stage for Ruch School amphitheater Ruch school class focuses on the natural environment Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Environment OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure Bird flu discovered in Winston backyard flock Jackson County holds back on enforcing GMO ban for now State News Oregon may see hemp crop this spring under new rules Forest Service scraps $10 million PR campaign Eugene's federally funded car charging stations underused Court says Oregon's water withdrawal permits endangered Clackamas River salmon Seabird die-off puzzles scientists Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Edgar Frutchey III Shirley M. 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Medford airport seeding fog to help with airplane takeoffs, landings ... Our View: Falls has work to do to restore trust ... OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack ... Medford airport seeding fog to help with airplane takeoffs, landings ... Our View: Falls has work to do to restore trust ... CRIME Man convicted in 1998 Wolf Creek carjack murder to be set free 30-year-old Trevor Walraven gets 'second-look' hearing, has 30-year sentence cut in half Comment By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Sep. 12, 2014 @ 6:26 pm Updated Sep 12, 2014 at 6:39 PM By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Sep. 12, 2014 @ 6:26 pm Updated Sep 12, 2014 at 6:39 PM » Social News Stunning observers in a Grants Pass courtroom Friday, Trevor Walraven had his 30-year sentence for the 1998 carjacking murder of lodge owner Bill Hull cut in half and was ordered to be released from prison in the next 45 days. Walraven was only 14 years old when he carjacked Hull, owner of the Black Bar Lodge in Merlin, at gunpoint on a country road in Wolf Creek and then dispatched the 65-year-old man with a gunshot to the head, a crime that Walraven himself characterized in court Thursday as an execution. Now 30, Walraven came before visiting Judge Timothy Gerking in Josephine County Circuit Court as part of a “second-look” hearing that allows juvenile offenders who were convicted of Measure 11 crimes as adults to seek early release after they have served half of their sentence. Gerking said the killing was cold-blooded, but that Walraven was reformed. The decision came after an all-day hearing Thursday in which a dozen or more witnesses testified on Walraven’s behalf. During the hearing, District Attorney Stephen Campbell elicited for the first time a full confession from Walraven, who had steadfastly maintained his innocence of the murder, one of the most notorious in Josephine County history. Walraven denied, however, that his brother, Josh Cain, took part in the killing. Cain, who was 18 at the time, is now serving a 25-year sentence for his role in the crime. "I raised the gun," Walraven said during the proceeding. "(Hull) bent at the waist … as though he was ducking. I pulled the trigger." "You shot him?" District Attorney Stephen Campbell asked Walraven. "Yes sir," he replied. "Right in the head?" "Yes sir." The description of what happened on that July day in 1998 was dramatic, but Walraven wasn't in court to detail the crime. Instead, he wanted to trumpet his good deeds since then. A parade of high-powered witnesses backed him up. "He cares about giving back to this world," said Michelle Inderbitzin, an Oregon State University professor who teaches in the prison system. "I would be very happy to have him as my neighbor. I would like to see him back in the community to see what he can do." Several prison officials testified on behalf of Walraven, president of the 150-member Lifer's Club at the prison, where he is a laundry room worker, electronics whiz and sometimes teaching assistant. Two other college professors working in the prison system testified on Walraven's behalf, as did two psychologists and his attorney, Peter Fahy. "This is not the same person who committed this crime," Fahy told Judge Gerking. Witnesses repeatedly described Walraven as respectful and trustworthy. All said he likely would not commit new crimes. "If anybody deserves a shot, I would say Trevor Walraven deserves a shot," said Bill Marion, a prison recreation specialist. Fahy took most of the day Thursday calling witnesses on Walraven's behalf. But, when Walraven took the stand near day's end, Campbell grilled him about the killing. The attack was planned, Walraven said. He and his brother had discussed it. "It was something that was talked about on a few occasions," he said. Walraven said he alone acted to kill Hull while his brother slept at home. The idea was to walk in front of a vehicle and then, when the driver stopped, to pull a gun, Walraven said. "Was the plan always to kill the person you stopped?" Campbell asked. "Yes sir," Walraven replied. Hull, who authorities believe was taking a Sunday drive on his way to church in Grants Pass, happened by. Walraven said he pulled a handgun and pointed it at him. "I walked around to the passenger side door," Walraven said. "I opened it up. I climbed into the vehicle. I believe he said, 'You don't need to kill me.' " Walraven said he had Hull drive up isolated Rock Creek Road, where Walraven then shot Hull in the head and dumped the body over an embankment. "Then where did you go?" Campbell asked him. "I turned around and went back home." "And got ready to go on a date," the prosecutor finished. Walraven and his brother took two girls on a date later that night — they went to the movies and an arcade in Grants Pass, using Hull's vehicle. They later trashed the Chevrolet Suburban and abandoned it in the hills. After their arrest, the brothers claimed they found the vehicle. Walraven said he told his brother what happened, and eventually told his father, too, before being arrested a few days after the killing. Doug Walraven and Karen Cain publicly maintained their sons' innocence, even after they were convicted. The elder Walraven died in 2006. Walraven told Campbell he was a methamphetamine abuser with a criminal mindset, but was sober that day. "You killed him … for a thrill, a power thrill?" Campbell asked him at one point. "I guess, in a way," Walraven replied. Walraven said he would get a job and live with his mother, if he is released. He said he'd love to work with convicted youths, advising them to avoid his errors. The most important thing to him, he said, was that he "never hurt anybody again." Gerking, who is from Jackson County, heard the case in part because three of Josephine County’s four judges had conflicts in the case. One of them was Walraven’s attorney during his trial in 2000 and the other was the prosecutor. The third judge, Thomas Hull, is Bill Hull's brother. Following the ruling, Walraven's mother, Karen Cain, hugged supporters in the sunshine outside the courthouse. She declined comment. Members of Hull’s family left the courthouse without comment. It was not immediately clear if Campbell plans to appeal. By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Sep. 12, 2014 @ 6:26 pm Updated Sep 12, 2014 at 6:39 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. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs 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. 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