Do you know who murdered Wilbur Jones in 1975?
In the early afternoon of a summer day in Portland, Oregon, on June 16, 1975, the manager of an apartment complex on the 6800 block of NE Union Avenue, now known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, grew concerned. He hadn't seen or heard from one of his tenants, a 58-year-old Caucasian male named Wilbur Jones. After knocking on Mr. Jones's door and receiving no answer, the manager used his key to enter the apartment. What he discovered was a scene of disarray and the lifeless body of Wilbur Jones.
Police were called to the residence and immediately began a homicide investigation. The evidence at the scene indicated a violent struggle. It was determined that Mr. Jones had been beaten and his death was the result of a traumatic neck injury. The investigation into his personal life revealed that Mr. Jones was in poor health and relied on a wheelchair or a cane to get around. It was also reported that he drank excessively and was known to associate with prostitutes.
As detectives canvassed the area for witnesses, a neighbor came forward with a potentially crucial piece of information. In the early hours of that same morning, at approximately 12:30 a.m., the neighbor had observed an unidentified African-American man at the door of Wilbur Jones's apartment. The man was described as being approximately six feet tall and weighing around 180 pounds. He had medium-length black hair and a small mustache. His attire was distinctive: black trousers, black shoes, a black, wide-brimmed hat, and a yellow leather jacket that was the length of a suit coat. Despite this promising lead, no arrests have ever been made in the case, and the death of Wilbur Jones remains an unsolved homicide.
