GUILTY OR - Mark Dribin, 42, Portland, 02 July 1999 *Christopher Charles Lovrien sentenced*

DNA Solves
DNA Solves
DNA Solves
Hi. I'm new to the site and somehow Mark's case got on my radar and got my interest. Have unidentified remains like the one below (see link) been checked against his DNA? Maybe it seems like a shot in the dark, but these bones were found in Portland, the city in which Mark went missing (the estimated height might be a little too tall, but perhaps it's was over-estimated). There could be other similar unidentified cases as well.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

When unidentified remains are found, are they automatically checked against missing persons cases? I've seen conflicting information about this posted. I would assume that's the point of DNA databases, but I don't see any rule-outs noted for Mark or the above case.
Old post, but if you are still around @NoseyInsomniac, I was gone from Websleuths for awhile, so it's only now that I'm finding your post. Please submit this possible match. Mark's DNA is on file. It's not one of the ones that's been excluded for Mark. There haven't been any for Multnomah county, only Washington county, and Linn County in Oregon.
 
Last edited:
Interesting thing: I just checked back on NamUs. 13 guys have been excluded as being Mark, but only two of them were in Oregon, one in Ohio, the rest were in the state of Virginia. The most recent was 2011.

The Virginia cases are because a few years ago--I want to say 2017--Virginia medical examiners made a concerted effort to clear their backlog of unidentified remains, and they compared every case in their files with every possible missing person in the entire country, no matter how improbable. I don't remember hearing how many matches they were able to make.
 
The Virginia cases are because a few years ago--I want to say 2017--Virginia medical examiners made a concerted effort to clear their backlog of unidentified remains, and they compared every case in their files with every possible missing person in the entire country, no matter how improbable. I don't remember hearing how many matches they were able to make.
Thanks. I thought that it was kind of weird. Since Mark was killed at his home in Oregon, it's not likely that the killer (Lovrien) transported his body to another state. But it doesn't look like they've done any comparisons since 2011. Maybe the arrest/new charges will inspire the detective to submit more possible matches in the Portland area for unsolved cases UID's. Ken told me that the detectives were inspired to submit the DNA when the Golden State Killer case was resolved.
 
@LinasK - Any updates on what might have happened at the hearing & if there is a next court date? I ask, as I still can not access the Oregon court site.

TIA! :)
 
@LinasK - Any updates on what might have happened at the hearing & if there is a next court date? I ask, as I still can not access the Oregon court site.

TIA! :)
No, just checked again. Nothing posted between the hearing that was held on 3/16, and the trial date of 2/22. Ken was thinking of contacting the detective again last night. I talked to him Tues. night. So for the moment, we are in limbo...
 
@LinasK - I'm going to be gone for a few days - and was just wondering if there might be an update on the next court hearing date?

TIA! :)
 
@LinasK - I'm going to be gone for a few days - and was just wondering if there might be an update on the next court hearing date?

TIA! :)
Nothing new to report. Hoping that they will at least have a hearing once/month as a status check for the trial, but they haven't posted anything on the Oregon Judicial Department site since the 16th and no word from Ken. I'll continue to keep checking...
 
Just spoke with Ken. He talked to the detective. The last hearing was another routine one held to make sure that the trial is still on track, but he warned to be prepared in general for more delays beyond February... No new dates listed yet for further hearings on the Oregon Judicial site. I did suggest to Ken that he push the detective to submit Mark's DNA for further UID matches. We'll see if anything comes of that. He wasn't too optimistic. He did drop a tidbit that Lovrien is playing Mr. Innocent. He hasn't admitted to Mark's murder. He did admit to the Grand Jury to the 2nd murder, but tried to claim that it was self-defense. Hopefully there's another hearing in April. Stay tuned, same time, same bat channel.
 
Thursday, April 15th:
*Motions Hearing (both cases) (@ 1:30pm PT) - OR – Mark Jeffrey Dribin (42) (last seen July 3, 1999, Portland, reported missing July 6, 1999; has not been found) - *Christopher Charles Lovrien (32 @ time of crime/52) indicted (4/30/20), arrested (5/4/20 by U.S. Marshalls), charged (5/4/20) & arraigned (5/5/20) with 2nd degree murder. Plead not guilty. No bond.
Forensic Genetic Genealogy match.
Trial set to begin on 2/28/22 (at 9am) 12-person jury.

Court info from 5/5/20 thru 12/14/20 reference post #447 here:
Still Missing - OR - Mark Dribin, 42, Portland, 02 July 1999 *ARREST*

2/5/21 Update: was a conference call. The only other entries are an order to appear for today & next hearing further proceedings on 3/16/21. 3/2/21: Grand Jury held hearing on Lovrien case & indicted (3/10/21) for Dribin’s murder.
3/16/21 Update: Present: Judge Christopher Ramras, State of Oregon DDA Travis T. Sewell, Defense attorney Joe Calhoun & defendant. Hearing was held. Next motions hearing on 4/15/21.

*OR – Kenneth Lee Griffin (53) (last seen Feb. 1, 2020 & reported missing on Feb. 2, 2020, Portland, found May 19, 2020 in Lovrien’s shed) - *Charged (3/10/21), indicted & arraigned (3/11/21) with 2nd degree murder, abuse of a corpse & 6 counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. Plead not guilty. Held without bond.
Court info from 3/10/21 reference post #447 here:
Still Missing - OR - Mark Dribin, 42, Portland, 02 July 1999 *ARREST*

3/11/21 Update: Arraignment hearing. Plead not guilty. Next further proceedings hearing on 3/16/21. 3/16/21 Update: Present: Judge Christopher Ramras, State of Oregon DDA Travis T. Sewell, Defense attorney ?? & defendant. Hearing was held. 3/16/21 Update: Next motions hearing on 4/15/21.
 
Tuesday, April 20th:
*Motions Hearing (both cases) (@ 1pm PT) - OR – Mark Jeffrey Dribin (42) (last seen July 3, 1999, Portland, reported missing July 6, 1999; has not been found) - *Christopher Charles Lovrien (32 @ time of crime/52) indicted (4/30/20), arrested (5/4/20 by U.S. Marshalls), charged (5/4/20) & arraigned (5/5/20) with 2nd degree murder. Plead not guilty. No bond.
Forensic Genetic Genealogy match
Trial set to begin on 2/28/22 (at 9am) 12-person jury.

Court info from 5/5/20 thru 3/2/21 reference post #462 here:
Still Missing - OR - Mark Dribin, 42, Portland, 02 July 1999 *ARREST*

3/16/21 Update: Present: Judge Christopher Ramras, State of Oregon DDA Travis T. Sewell, Defense attorney Joe Calhoun & defendant. Hearing was held. Next motions hearing on 4/15/21. 4/15/21 Update: Motions hearing rescheduled on 4/20/21.

*OR – Kenneth Lee Griffin (53) (last seen Feb. 1, 2020 & reported missing on Feb. 2, 2020, Portland, found May 19, 2020 in Lovrien’s shed) - *Charged (3/10/21), indicted & arraigned (3/11/21) with 2nd degree murder, abuse of a corpse & 6 counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. Plead not guilty. Held without bond.
Court info from 3/16/21 reference post #462 here:
Still Missing - OR - Mark Dribin, 42, Portland, 02 July 1999 *ARREST*

3/16/21 Update: Next motions hearing on 4/15/21. 4/15/21 Update: Motions hearing rescheduled on 4/20/21.
 
Slight update, I decided to check back on the OJD site again just for the heck of it: A 2nd defense attorney was added to the team today or will be it looks like. Order - Appointing Counsel Attorney: Scott Niebling as second chair w/current attorney Joe Calhoun. There's an order to appear for 1PM today...
 
Last edited:
Slight update, I decided to check back on the OJD site again just for the heck of it: A 2nd defense attorney was added to the team today or will be it looks like. Order - Appointing Counsel Attorney: Scott Niebling as second chair w/current attorney Joe Calhoun. There's an order to appear for 1PM today...

Order to appear today - does that mean 4/21? and just attorneys? TIA!
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
52
Guests online
2,111
Total visitors
2,163

Forum statistics

Threads
602,246
Messages
18,137,476
Members
231,281
Latest member
omnia
Back
Top