Do you know who killed Robert Valentino Cespedes in 2004? In the early hours of November 10, 2004, Caucasian/White male Robert Valentino Cespedes, age 35, was discovered lying on the ground outside 3707 SE 33rd Avenue in Portland with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Officers had been dispatched at 5:18 a.m. on a report of an assault in progress, and when they arrived, the 35-year-old male was still alive and was rushed to a local hospital.
Witnesses described two SUVs leaving the scene moments after the shooting; one was identified as a dark blue Dodge traveling south on SE 33rd Avenue toward SE Francis Street.
For years after the shooting, the 35-year-old male lived with the consequences of the head wound. Complications persisted, and on November 15, 2007, he died from seizures that authorities determined were a direct result of the gunshot injury he sustained in 2004. The death transformed the case from an assault to a homicide linked to the original attack, keeping the timeline and location central to the investigation's narrative.
Detectives canvassed the neighborhood and pursued leads tied to the fleeing SUVs, but no suspect or suspects were publicly identified. As of the most recent official updates, there have been no arrests. Investigators have continued to seek information, and a reward—administered through Crime Stoppers—has been offered for tips leading to an arrest in this unsolved felony case.
