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A horror film-esque confrontation with a Portland, Oregon, landlord resulting in his death has been deemed self-defense by police.
In November, police determined the killing of landlord Justin Valdivia to be self-defense after Valdivia unlawfully entered a former renter's home and charged at him while wearing a slasher mask and brandishing a hammer and pellet gun in the middle of the night.
Stas Wallace, the former renter, had decided to move out of his rented room in late August, according to an article by The Oregonian/OregonLive, but stayed in the apartment while sleeping on the couch with his three other housemates' permission.
The housemates said Valdivia had harassed them for weeks, and Wallace allegedly borrowed a sword for protection as the threats escalated. The sword would later be used to stab the landlord through the chest after he entered the house in the middle of the night on September 15.
That incident wouldn't be the first time Valdivia acted in a way that concerned the renters. Previously, he had tried to enter the home unlawfully, as Oregon law requires landlords to give at least 24-hour notice before entering a renter's home.
The Oregonian/OregonLive article also reported Valdivia allegedly swung a knife at one of the renters and produced an invalid, hand-written eviction notice.
The actions would escalate into Valdivia's final threat, when he used his key to enter the property at 1 a.m. and accosted Wallace in the living room while requesting Wallace's cell phone, which allegedly contained a video of Valdivia threatening the tenants.
According to witness statements, Valdivia pointed what was later determined to be a pellet gun at Wallace. In fear for his life, Wallace stabbed Valdivia through the chest with the borrowed sword.
Wallace and one of the housemates called 911 and tried to stop the bleeding, but Valdivia was pronounced dead at the scene. In November, the killing was ruled self-defense and no criminal charges were pressed.
According to The Oregonian/OregonLive, Valdivia's family disagrees with what was reported to happen on September 15.
Valdivia's wife Naomi said it had been Wallace who was harassing Valdivia and that her husband had entered the rental property that night to demand Wallace remove Craigslist posts accusing Valdivia of being a sex offender. The article reported that court records showed Valdivia was convicted of sexual abuse in 1996.
Wallace's former housemate Robert Bainter said Wallace stabbing Valdivia wasn't a malicious attack.
"He had a gun pointed at him, and if that's not a moment where you feel you can defend yourself, I don't know what is," Bainter said to The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The article reported all the housemates have since moved out of the rental property.
Newsweek reached out to Portland Police Bureau and the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office for comment.
About the writer
Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more