In the late hours of a Friday in Portland, Oregon, a discovery was made that would unravel a story of violence and a year-long quest for justice. On November 4, 2022, police responded to a welfare check call in a parking lot at the Lloyd Center. There, they found the body of 33-year-old Nick Henderson, a White male resident of Portland. The circumstances were immediately deemed suspicious, prompting the involvement of the Portland Police Homicide Unit.
An autopsy conducted by the Oregon
State Medical Examiner's Office would later confirm the grim reality of Henderson's demise: he had died from stab wounds, and his death was officially ruled a homicide. As the investigation commenced, Henderson's family was notified of the tragic loss and, while grieving, requested privacy. For over a year, the case remained a persistent focus for detectives, who meticulously worked to piece together the events that led to the fatal encounter in the Lloyd District parking garage.
The breakthrough in the case came in late 2023. Investigators identified a person of interest, Jeffery Joseph McNeill, 26, of Alaska. They learned that McNeill was already in custody at the Clackamas County Jail on unrelated charges. Working with the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, detectives secured an arrest warrant. On December 1, 2023, McNeill was transferred to Multnomah County and booked on charges of Murder in the Second Degree and Unlawful Use of a Weapon in connection with Nick Henderson's death. The victim's family was informed of this significant development, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing investigation.
