In the early hours of January 6, 2021, a welfare check at a residence on Norway Avenue NE in Salem, Oregon, led to a grim discovery. Firefighters, responding to the call around 1:20 a.m., found 32-year-old Amanda Marie Mankins, a White/Caucasian female, suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite immediate medical intervention and transport to Salem Health, her injuries proved fatal, and she succumbed to them later that day.
The Salem Police Department quickly launched a homicide
investigation into the violent death of Mankins. Their inquiries led them to identify 29-year-old Matthew Hansen as a suspect. Investigators learned that Hansen was in a domestic relationship with Mankins, adding a layer of tragedy to the unfolding events. He was subsequently arrested and faced serious charges, including second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon.
The legal proceedings that followed brought some measure of resolution to the case. In October 2023, Matthew Hansen pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter. As part of a plea agreement, Hansen admitted to recklessly causing Mankins' death with extreme indifference to human life. In exchange for his plea, additional charges of unlawful use of a weapon and possession of oxycodone were dismissed. The court sentenced Hansen to 20 years in prison, to be followed by a three-year period of post-prison supervision.
