In the early hours of Saturday, April 22, 2023, the life of William Robert Decker II, a 44-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically cut short in his Portland, Oregon apartment. North Precinct officers responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 2:16 a.m. in the 6700 block of Northeast Killingsworth Street in the Cully Neighborhood. Upon arrival, they discovered Mr.
Decker deceased at the scene.
The subsequent investigation by the Portland Police Bureau Homicide Unit quickly identified a suspect. Mr. Decker's wife, 40-year-old Mariah Cole, who also used the last name Decker, was arrested in connection with his death. The Medical Examiner later confirmed that William Decker's death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound.
Mariah Cole was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center and faces serious charges, including Murder in the Second Degree Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. According to court documents, Cole initially told investigators that the shooting was an accident. She claimed that she was reaching for a bag of chips in a cupboard when she discovered a gun, which then accidentally discharged, striking her husband.
However, investigators grew suspicious of her account. An affidavit revealed that William Decker was found lying on his back with a single gunshot wound to his forehead. Cole had stated that he was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed when the gun went off. Detectives confronted her with the inconsistencies between her story and the evidence at the crime scene, suggesting that a gun would not simply discharge on its own. It was also reported that just a week before his death, Decker had expressed fears that his spouse might harm him.
