In the early morning hours of May 11, 2019, the life of Dean Paul Jurica, a 50-year-old White male, was cut short in the community of Sweet Home, Oregon. Just before 5:30 a.m., a distressing 911 call was made to the Linn County Dispatch Center by Cheri Lyn Olsen, who reported that her boyfriend, Jurica, had been shot on Wiley Creek Drive.
Emergency services, including paramedics from the Sweet Home Fire Department and officers from the Sweet Home Police Department, along with deputies
from the Linn County Sheriff's Office, were dispatched to the scene. They met Olsen as she was driving toward Sweet Home and transported Jurica to the Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. Tragically, he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
The Linn County Sheriff's Office promptly launched an investigation into the shooting. Sheriff Jim Yon confirmed that Jurica's death was not the result of a suicide and that detectives were actively "running down leads like crazy, processing evidence." Investigators dedicated their weekend to the case, though details about the specifics of the shooting were not publicly released.
Authorities have stated that they do not believe Jurica's death is connected to another fatal shooting that occurred in Sweet Home later that same month. While an arrest was made in the other case, the investigation into Dean Paul Jurica's death remains ongoing. To date, there has been no public announcement regarding any arrests made or the identification of any suspects in connection with his killing. The case continues to be an active investigation, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Linn County Sheriff's Office.
