On October 20, 2024, John S. Yeager, a 45-year-old man, was killed in an incident at a homeless encampment located east of Interstate 84 in Ontario, Oregon. The incident led to the arrest of Ian T. Inger, who has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Yeager's death.
According to the District Attorney for Malheur County, Dave Goldthorpe, the killing occurred on Sunday afternoon. Both Yeager and Inger were residents of the homeless camps in the area.
Inger was arrested and arraigned on October 21, 2024, in Malheur County Circuit Court, where he was ordered to be held in jail on a $750,000 bond.
Ian T. Inger has a history of violent crimes. In June 2015, he pleaded guilty to an attempt to commit murder and was sentenced to 90 months in prison. In that incident, Inger attacked his girlfriend and her daughter with a metal bat and an ax, causing severe injuries. He had recently been released from prison after serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for this crime.
John Yeager also had a criminal history, having been convicted of fourth-degree assault in 2020 and sentenced to 30 months in prison. The killing of Yeager marks the first homicide within the city limits of Ontario in 2024, as stated by Police Chief Mike Iwai.
The investigation and subsequent arrest were carried out by multiple state and local police agencies, with Inger currently being held at the Malheur County Jail.
