In the quiet town of Silverton, Oregon, the life of 50-year-old Cassandra "Cassie" Kae Wagner, a White female, was tragically cut short on August 30, 2014. A dedicated and compassionate licensed practical nurse, Cassie had spent 25 years caring for others at the Providence Benedictine Nursing Home in Mt. Angel, where she was lovingly described as an "angel in nurse's disguise."
Born in Anaheim, California, she later moved to Silverton, graduating from Silverton Union High School before pursuing her nursing degree. She was a cherished member of the Silver Creek Fellowship and was known for her generous and giving nature.
The circumstances of her death unfolded in a grim sequence of events. Police responded to a report of a shooting at a residence in the 200 block of Olson Road just before 3:45 p.m. Upon arrival, they discovered Cassandra Wagner deceased inside the home, a victim of homicidal violence. The quiet, rural street, with only six houses, was thrust into the spotlight for the second time in less than a year, having been the scene of another murder just nine months prior.
The immediate suspect was identified as 43-year-old Jason Clifford Down, with whom Wagner had been in a relationship and had lived. Down had a significant criminal history, including past convictions for assault and burglary. In the weeks leading up to the murder, the relationship had evidently soured to a dangerous point. Wagner had sought and obtained a restraining order against Down due to physical abuse, and she had even warned her neighbors to be vigilant. Just two weeks before her death, her name appeared in court records as the victim in a probation violation case against him. The day before the fatal shooting, Down reportedly told an acquaintance of his intention to sell his belongings, shoot Wagner, and then himself.
Following the discovery of Wagner's body, a manhunt for Jason Down was initiated by the Marion County Homicide Assault Team and other local agencies. The search concluded the following morning around 6:30 a.m. when Down transported himself to Silverton Hospital with unspecified injuries. He was subsequently airlifted to a hospital in Portland, where he remained under police guard. Down was later sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Cassandra Wagner.
