On September 20, 2017, the life of 22-year-old Hispanic male, Jose Raul Boyzo-Hernandez, was cut short in what was initially believed to be a suicide. Hillsboro police were called to his residence in the 900 block of Southeast 13th Avenue at 3:30 a.m. However, as investigators delved deeper into the circumstances surrounding his death, the case took a darker turn. The initial assessment gave way to suspicion, and the investigation was reclassified as a homicide.
It was later revealed that Boyzo-Hernandez, a construction worker who was married and had been raised in Mexico, had been shot and killed.
For months, the case remained shrouded in mystery, with few details released to the public as Hillsboro police continued their work. Court records concerning the investigation were sealed, leaving the community and Boyzo-Hernandez's loved ones with many unanswered questions. Investigators remained tight-lipped about a potential motive or any relationship the victim may have had with his killer. The lack of information only added to the tragedy of a young life lost to violence.
A significant break in the case came nearly nine months later, on June 10, 2018, when police arrested 19-year-old Langston Amani Harris of Portland in connection with the murder. Harris was charged with murder with a firearm for the shooting death of Boyzo-Hernandez. While one arrest was made, reports indicated that investigators were also searching for a second suspect in the case. Harris was arraigned in Washington County Circuit Court, though a 13-page affidavit that could have shed more light on the reasons for his arrest was sealed. The investigation was described as ongoing, even after the arrest, as authorities continued to piece together the events that led to Boyzo-Hernandez's untimely death.
