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Judge again orders Walraven to be freed Trevor Walraven carjacked and killed Black Bar Lodge owner Bill Hull in 1998 By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 20, 2016 @ 4:19 pm By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 20, 2016 @ 4:19 pm » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> A judge on Tuesday ordered the release of convicted murderer Trevor Walraven by the end of the month. Walraven and his brother, Josh Cain, carjacked and killed Black Bar Lodge owner Bill Hull in 1998 in one of the most notorious crimes in Josephine County history. Walraven was 14 at the time. He was convicted of aggravated murder two years later for the execution-style killing, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. In September 2014, a "second look" hearing was held for Walraven under an Oregon law that allows certain juvenile offenders to be considered for early release once they've served half their sentence. At that hearing, after a series of witnesses testified that Walraven had been reformed, visiting Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Gerking ordered that Walraven be freed. He'd served 16 years of his sentence at that point. The state appealed the ruling, arguing that Walraven, now 31, wasn't eligible for a "second look" hearing in the first place. That appeal is still pending. Meanwhile, the state has been working to keep Walraven behind bars until the appeals process wraps up. At Tuesday's hearing, District Attorney Ryan Mulkins told Gerking, "Common sense says that a person convicted of aggravated murder should not be released until the court is certain that he is entitled to such release." Gerking denied Mulkins' motion to block Walraven's release and again ordered him freed, as he did previously at the second-look hearing. "More than a year later, here we are again," Gerking said. Walraven did not attend Tuesday's hearing, during which Mulkins asked that Walraven be kept in custody for another month. Walraven's attorney, Portland-based appeals lawyer Andy Simrin, said his client should be released as soon as possible. "I think that they can find a key and open the door by the end of the month," Simrin said. Gerking ordered Walraven freed by Feb. 1. Hull, 65, of Sunny Valley, was carjacked at gunpoint on a rural road outside of Wolf Creek July 26, 1998, then shot in the head. His body was dumped over the side of a logging road. Despite protests of innocence at trial, Walraven confessed publicly for the first time at his second-look hearing. He testified that he and his brother planned the killing together, but said he acted alone while Cain slept at home. Prosecutors said Walraven began drinking at age 10 and started using meth at 12. He and his brother were home-schooled and sometimes lived alone while their parents traveled to antiques shows. Their parents were away at the time Hull was killed. After the murder, Walraven and Cain went on a joy ride in Hull's 1997 Chevrolet Suburban, taking two girls on a date that included a meal at Dairy Queen, video games at Abby's Pizza and a drive-in movie. Cain, who was 18 at the time, was later convicted of murder and unauthorized use of a vehicle for the crime and is serving a 25-year sentence. Now 36, Cain's earliest release date is August 2023. Gerking was brought in for Walraven's second-look hearing because several Josephine County judges have conflicts of interest in the case: Judge Pat Wolke was Walraven's trial attorney, Judge Michael Newman was the prosecutor, and Judge Thomas Hull is Bill Hull's brother. The hearing was ordered by Josephine County's only other judge, Lindi Baker, but only after the Oregon Supreme Court told her she had to schedule it or show cause why it should not be held. The state Department of Corrections opposed the proceeding, but several corrections officers testified on Walraven's behalf as character witnesses. At the conclusion of the second-look hearing, Gerking ordered that Walraven be released within 45 days. That deadline came and went, and Walraven remained behind bars — the state argued the government's appeal automatically put his release on hold. In October, the Oregon Supreme Court ordered prison officials to release Walraven in accordance with Gerking's original order. Tuesday's hearing was a last-ditch motion by the state to block the release. It's unclear when the state appeals court will rule on the argument that Walraven wasn't eligible for a second-look hearing. If the court finds that his early release was inappropriate, he'll be taken back into custody, Mulkins said. Walraven is expected to live in Marion County upon his release. Reach reporter Melissa McRobbie at 541-474-3806 or [email protected] By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 20, 2016 @ 4:19 pm » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » 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 Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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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