In the quiet town of Lebanon, Oregon, the life of a 42-year-old White/Caucasian woman named Tammy Lee Hopper was tragically cut short on February 7, 2019. Her death, which occurred at her home on Shannon Place, was not an isolated incident but part of a grim double homicide that also claimed the life of 48-year-old Erik Cody Jacobs. The community was shaken when authorities received a report shortly before 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 9, 2019, leading to the discovery of their bodies.
The investigation into the deaths quickly pointed to a single suspect: 48-year-old Brenton Wade Richmond, also of Lebanon. Investigators learned that Richmond was a former Lebanon police officer and had been in a relationship with Hopper that had ended just two months prior to the killings. Reports indicate that Richmond had allegedly threatened to kill Hopper and any new boyfriend she might have. Despite these threats, the Linn County Sheriff's Office had issued Richmond a concealed weapon permit in January of that year.
Following the discovery of the victims, a manhunt for Richmond ensued. He was apprehended on Sunday, February 10, 2019, in southern California, tellingly close to the United States border with Mexico. He was detained as he attempted to walk across the border and subsequently faced two counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of Tammy Lee Hopper and Erik Cody Jacobs. The Linn County Major Crimes Team led the investigation into the apparent homicidal violence that ended two lives and left a community in mourning.
