In the summer of 2018, the life of 27-year-old Kristina L. Mehaffey was tragically cut short in what police determined to be a murder-suicide. On the evening of Wednesday, July 11, 2018, in the Merlin area, a confrontation between Mehaffey and her ex-boyfriend, 28-year-old Jeremy L. Sweet, ended in her death.
Oregon State Police investigators reported that Sweet shot and killed Mehaffey before taking his own life.
Mehaffey was discovered deceased in a van parked in a driveway on Tina Way following a reported disturbance late that night. A short distance away, on Portland Avenue, authorities found Sweet deceased in another vehicle from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Court records revealed that just two days prior to the fatal incident, Sweet had been sentenced to five days in jail for driving with a suspended license. He also had a history of DUII convictions and an active warrant for his arrest after failing to appear in court for a pending DUII charge. Further court documents indicated that Mehaffey was a mother to two young children, ages 6 and 4 at the time, and that their father, who was not Sweet, had recently filed for custody.
