Do you know who murdered Winston Moton in 2004? On the evening of January 31, 2004, a conversation on a Portland sidewalk turned deadly for Winston Moton, a 29-year-old African-American man. At approximately 7:37 p.m., while standing with several other men on Northwest Couch Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, an unidentified man abruptly ended their discussion with a fatal act of violence.
Without warning, one of the men in the group brandished a handgun and shot Moton, leaving him dead on the pavement.
The sudden eruption of gunfire shattered the night, and in the ensuing moments, the shooter vanished. Witnesses at the scene provided a description of the assailant to the police, painting a picture of an African-American male between 25 and 40 years old. He was described as having a medium to stocky build, with a short afro, and was last seen wearing a dark coat.
In the years that have followed, the killing of Winston Moton has remained an open wound for the city of Portland. Despite the initial witness accounts, no arrests have ever been made in connection with his murder. The case has since been turned over to the Portland Police Bureau's Cold Case Homicide Unit, where investigators continue to seek the piece of information that might finally bring a resolution. Crime Stoppers of Oregon has offered a cash reward for any tip that leads to an arrest, a standing plea for anyone who might know what happened that night to come forward. The identity of the man who shot Winston Moton and the motive behind the killing remain a mystery.
