On a Tuesday night in Portland, Oregon, the life of 30-year-old Michael William Olson, a White male, was tragically cut short. On September 30, 2014, at approximately 11:08 p.m., Michael was walking in the 6100 block of Southeast 52nd Avenue in the Woodstock neighborhood when he was shot and killed. He was with a friend at the time, on his way to meet other friends, when they were confronted.
Investigators believe the motive was robbery, describing the act as random and senseless as there was no known connection between Michael and his assailant.
Responding officers and medical personnel found Michael deceased at the scene from a fatal gunshot wound. The sudden violence of his death sent shockwaves through his community. Michael was a beloved server and bartender at Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, where he was known for his kind and witty personality. Friends and family remembered him as a bright, funny man who was an avid reader and a poet. He had moved to Portland in 2009 from La Porte, Indiana, and had embraced the city as his home.
In the wake of the homicide, the Portland Police Bureau launched an investigation that has yet to lead to an arrest, leaving the case unsolved. Homicide investigators have pursued leads and believe there may be multiple people with information about the shooting. An eyewitness described a suspect as a light-skinned African American or Hispanic male, and a forensic sketch was released to the public in the hopes of identifying the person responsible. One witness reported seeing a group of four men, one of whom grabbed Michael's arm before shooting him.
Years after his death, Michael's family continues to seek answers and closure. They have spoken publicly about their grief and the desperate need for someone to come forward with information that could lead to an arrest. Crime Stoppers of Oregon has offered a cash reward for information leading to an arrest in this unsolved felony crime. Michael's parents expressed their profound loss, stating that you are not supposed to lose your children and that the pain of his absence is a daily struggle. A celebration of Michael's life was held at his workplace, where friends and family gathered to share stories and poems in his memory.
