In the late winter of 2021, the life of a 32-year-old Caucasian male named Jeremy Lee Covey was brought to an abrupt and violent end. On the evening of February 18th, outside an apartment complex in Aloha, Oregon, a community near Beaverton, Covey was shot while sitting in his vehicle. Despite his injuries, he managed to exit the car and cry out for help.
An acquaintance rushed him to a nearby urgent care facility, but his life could not be saved, and he succumbed to his wounds.
The investigation into the death of Jeremy Lee Covey, a resident of Portland who was known affectionately as "Jerm," quickly fell to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit. In the days that followed, detectives worked to piece together the events of that fatal evening. Their investigation led them to identify a suspect, 35-year-old Herbert James Rabago. As they built their case, authorities also sought public assistance, releasing information about a vehicle of interest, a red Hyundai Elantra with passenger-side damage. The family of Covey, while grappling with immeasurable grief, expressed their hope for justice and their gratitude for the tireless efforts of law enforcement. They remembered him as a beloved son, father, brother, and uncle who had just been offered a new beginning in life that was tragically stolen from him.
A significant break in the case came on March 4, 2021, when officers from the Beaverton Police Department spotted a vehicle associated with Rabago. When they attempted to initiate a stop, Rabago fled, leading police on a pursuit that ended near the Beaverton Central Max Station. He then attempted to escape on foot but was quickly apprehended and taken into custody on a warrant for the murder of Jeremy Lee Covey.
The legal process culminated in June 2023, when a Washington County jury found Herbert James Rabago guilty of Murder in the Second Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He was subsequently sentenced to 390 months in prison. The conviction brought a measure of closure to a case that had deeply affected the community and the family of Jeremy Lee Covey, who was remembered not only as a loving family man but also as a man who had proudly served his fellow Oregonians by fighting the devastating wildfires of 2020.
