In a tragic turn of events on August 1, 2016, Brett White, a 44-year-old Caucasian male from Salem, Oregon, was fatally shot. The incident unfolded in his own home on Jean Court NE, a place that should have been a sanctuary for him and his family. The evening was shattered by a violent intrusion that would ultimately claim his life.
The perpetrators had not intended to harm Brett White. Their target was his 20-year-old son, William White, from whom they planned to steal marijuana.
Two men, later identified as 22-year-old Denzel Cortez Hawthorne of Michigan and 20-year-old Eloy Carrera Jr. of Illinois, entered the White residence armed with a shotgun and a pistol. When they demanded the marijuana from his son, Brett White, in a father's protective instinct, intervened and charged at them. During the ensuing confrontation, Hawthorne fired a single shot, striking Brett White in the head. He was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
The two suspects fled the scene in a red or maroon Pontiac Grand Am. Their freedom was short-lived, however, as an extensive search led law enforcement to the Budget Inn hotel in Woodburn the following morning. The Marion County SWAT Team executed a search warrant and arrested both Hawthorne and Carrera. They were subsequently charged with murder, robbery, and burglary. A judge, deeming them a flight risk, ordered them to be held on a $2 million bail each.
