In the early morning hours of September 25, 2022, a dispute between brothers outside a hotel in Northeast Portland, Oregon, ended in the death of Martese Oliver, a 26-year-old Black male from Washington. Police were called to the Howard Johnson hotel in the 8200 block of Northeast Sandy Boulevard around 3:30 a.m. for a reported shooting. North Precinct officers arrived to find Martese suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy by the medical examiner later confirmed that his death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound.
The investigation quickly led police to a suspect: Martese's identical twin brother, Martre Tirik Oliver. Two days after the shooting, on September 27, 2022, U.S. Marshals located and arrested Martre in Renton, Washington. He was extradited to Multnomah County to face charges in his brother's death.
Investigators reviewed security footage from the hotel that captured the fatal encounter. The video showed a small blue SUV arriving at the property, and two people, later identified as the Oliver brothers, getting out and having a disturbance. According to the district attorney's office, the footage showed Martese striking Martre, who then fell to the ground and out of the camera's view. As Martese walked toward his brother, three flashes of light consistent with gunshots were seen. A neighbor who lived nearby told reporters she was awakened by a couple of gunshots and then heard a car "zoom off" before police cars were everywhere.
Martre Oliver was initially charged with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. The case concluded when he was convicted of Manslaughter in the First Degree, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. In a statement, the prosecutor, Senior Deputy District Attorney Kristen Kyle-Castelli, said, “The death of Martese Oliver was violent, tragic and unnecessary. A fight between brothers dramatically escalated when the defendant pulled a gun and shot Martese Oliver multiple times.”
On March 20, 2026, Martre Oliver, then 29 years old, was sentenced to 150 months, or 12.5 years, in prison for killing his twin brother. This sentencing in March 2026 marked the legal conclusion of the case.
