On a late June day in 2018, the life of Kenneth Lamont Coleman, a 44-year-old Black male, was tragically cut short in Portland, Oregon. On June 29, police responded to a welfare check call in the 12200 block of Northeast Halsey Street. There, in a wooded area, they discovered Mr. Coleman unconscious and not breathing; he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
He was a son, brother, and uncle, and his family later stressed that he was not homeless at the time of his death.
For over two and a half years, the investigation into his death continued, a persistent effort by the Portland Police Bureau's Homicide Detail. The case remained unsolved, leaving a void of answers for his grieving family and community. The quiet diligence of the detectives, however, was leading them down a path that would eventually bring a suspect to light.
In March 2021, a significant breakthrough occurred. The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office announced that a grand jury had indicted 46-year-old Alphonzo Johnson for the murder of Kenneth Coleman. The indictment brought charges of murder in the second degree with a firearm and felon in possession of a firearm against Johnson. The indictment alleged that Johnson had intentionally and unlawfully caused Coleman's death by use of a firearm. This development, years in the making, marked a pivotal moment in the long road toward justice for Kenneth Lamont Coleman. His family expressed their gratitude for the hard work and diligence of everyone involved in the case that led to the accusation against his alleged killer.
