Nathan Dean Anderson was described by his family as a “bright and beautiful shining light.” The 25-year-old White man from Oregon City, Oregon, loved connecting with people through his music, was a talented basketball player, and felt a special connection to the coasts of Oregon and California. His life was cut short by violence in the spring of 2024.
On April 29, 2024, Nathan was shot in an unincorporated area of Clackamas County, near the intersection of SE 90th Avenue and SE St.
Helens Street. He was struck three times in the abdomen and rushed by ambulance to Oregon Health & Science University, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office investigation quickly identified two suspects who knew Nathan: Cody James Denewith and his girlfriend, Dominique Marie Britt, both of Milwaukie. Investigators determined the killing was fueled by jealousy. Nathan and Denewith were coworkers at Dave’s Killer Bread. In the days before the shooting, Denewith had been briefly jailed following a domestic violence call at the apartment he shared with Britt. During his absence, Britt claimed that Nathan had sexually assaulted her. According to the District Attorney's office, Denewith became “consumed by the belief that it had happened” and “fixated on getting revenge,” though Britt's claim was never substantiated.
Three days before the shooting, Denewith told Britt of his plan to kill Nathan and unsuccessfully tried to solicit help from family members. On the day of the murder, Denewith sent Britt a text message asking her to pack some clothing and his “toy,” which was their code word for his Sig Sauer P365 handgun. Britt later admitted to investigators that she delivered the gun to Denewith, knowing he intended to kill Nathan. Denewith was arrested on May 6, 2024, and Britt was arrested two days later. Both were initially charged with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon.
In December 2024, Dominique Marie Britt, 27, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon. She was sentenced to 150 months, or 12.5 years, in prison. On April 14, 2025, Cody James Denewith, 27, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and first-degree assault with a firearm. He was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison, bringing the case to a close as of April 2025.
