Skyler Stuckey was a 21-year-old White/Caucasian man from Albany, Oregon, who loved cars, fishing, and the outdoors. His mother, Misti, described him as the type of person who liked to help others and loved to drive. Just two months away from becoming a father, he was looking forward to welcoming a child with his girlfriend.
On the evening of New Year's Eve, December 31, 2023, Stuckey’s helpful nature led him to give two individuals a ride from Albany to Portland. Shortly after 8 p.m., a shooting erupted on Northeast Faloma Road in the city's East Columbia neighborhood. When North Precinct officers responded, they found Stuckey behind the wheel of a crashed BMW with a mortal gunshot wound to his head. An 18-year-old man who had been with him was found in a nearby yard, shot in the face. Both were rushed to a hospital, where Stuckey died from his injuries. The medical examiner later ruled his death a homicide. The second man was treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was eventually released.
Investigators found a chaotic scene with multiple firearms and different types of spent shell casings inside and outside the vehicle, indicating gunfire had occurred within the car. A third man associated with the car was seen on security footage fleeing the scene on foot and running into the Columbia River. For months, the case remained unsolved while Stuckey's family grieved and waited for answers.
A breakthrough came on September 17, 2025, when police in Albany arrested 18-year-old Jimmi Lee Lawing during a traffic stop. Lawing, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was extradited to Multnomah County and booked into the detention center. He was subsequently charged with first-degree manslaughter for his role in Skyler Stuckey’s death.
Jimmi Lee Lawing was later convicted. Because he was a minor when the crime was committed, he was sentenced to serve time in a youth facility rather than an adult prison. Stuckey’s mother expressed that she was devastated by the sentence. With the conviction and sentencing, the case was considered closed as of September 2025.
