Found Deceased OR - Owen Klinger, 18, University of Portland, 6 Oct 2019

[TheExperience]

Still thinking about you, Owen. :rose:

The only thing I want to add is my recent observation of how differently people process grief. Since July I've been going to a Portland-area bereavement group run by a local hospice, twice a month. There are usually around 20 people there and some of the people most in pain are the ones who have questions about the death of their loved one, or when the death was completely unexpected. Car crashes and suicides mainly. I mean we're talking nearly a year later in many cases and if you didn't know their stories you would think it happened yesterday. They have to keep it together for their other kids or their work or any number of things but inside they feel like their hearts are breaking into a trillion shards of glass that then pierce the pieces of their heart all over again.

Owen's family is still so much at the beginning of addressing their loss, I personally won't judge them for how they are expressing their emotions. I truly wish they find the peace they are seeking, however that turns out to be.

This is a deep well thought out and lovely post about grief. It is kind of you to invest in their well being. Lovely post and lovely person.

 

[drama_farmer]

It would be very unusual for any "official" source, such as LE, to come out with a finding of suicide. They usually leave it quite vague. In some cases, the family will be given information that supports a case of self-harm, but there are so many variables involved within and between cases. We (the public) may never know, in the end. IMO

 

[TheExperience]

It would be very unusual for any "official" source, such as LE, to come out with a finding of suicide. They usually leave it quite vague. In some cases, the family will be given information that supports a case of self-harm, but there are so many variables involved within and between cases. We (the public) may never know, in the end. IMO

Yes, I had a neighbor commit suicide and it was of course not in the paper. Although, there have been many official statements of more sensationalized cases than this, to which they did air disclosure of it being a suicide.

What struck me as extremely unusual was for LE to come all out jumping the gun claiming outrageous assumptions and placing wild theories in the general public's minds; He is train hopping or 'in the wild of Alaska,'adventure of a lifetime, roaming. It's unusual that the parents were the ones who were unfortunate enough to have to correct and do LE's job by telling them they are searching the wrong area even with detailed cameras showing which direction he took, to correct their timelines and theories about wild speculations of Owen train hopping or heading into the wild. Valuable time, weeks were wasted. Evidence, decomposition, leads, all lost.

The parents were very kind and kept their composure after all LE's mistakes. I used trust LE, gov't officials blindly, but i do wonder if behind closed doors if one kid and one case in which they really screwed up and made many mistakes is worth investigating further, finding foul play, ominous play, and if found, a possibility that the city is sued for these mistakes.

 

[PajamaSleuth]

Yes, I had a neighbor commit suicide and it was of course not in the paper. Although, there have been many official statements of more sensationalized cases than this, to which they did air disclosure of it being a suicide.

What struck me as extremely unusual was for LE to come all out jumping the gun claiming outrageous assumptions and placing wild theories in the general public's minds; He is train hopping or 'in the wild of Alaska,'adventure of a lifetime, roaming. It's unusual that the parents were the ones who were unfortunate enough to have to correct and do LE's job by telling them they are searching the wrong area even with detailed cameras showing which direction he took, to correct their timelines and theories about wild speculations of Owen train hopping or heading into the wild. Valuable time, weeks were wasted. Evidence, decomposition, leads, all lost.

The parents were very kind and kept their composure after all LE's mistakes. I used trust LE, gov't officials blindly, but i do wonder if behind closed doors if one kid and one case in which they really screwed up and made many mistakes is worth investigating further, finding foul play, ominous play, and if found, a possibility that the city is sued for these mistakes.

BBM
Wow!! This reminds me of Thomas Brown’s case from Texas! Another heartbreaking story.

 

[PinkClouds]

This is false. For one, drownings are very difficult to differentiate if accidental or on purpose in most instances, many are simply guess work, this is described in great detail in many literary published work by the professionals who have worked such cases for decades. Also, his injuries by hitting water as if it were glass could hide being roughed up and then thrown over the bridge, in fact the injuries hitting water at great height could super-cede and cover a group mistaking Owen for other intended victim, roughing him up a little before throwing him over that bridge.

He was not found in the water, but on land near the water and some factory type businesses, down a dark off the path road. With no detailed report, no one can be sure he jumped a bridge willingly or unwillingly, or was held under water and never jumped from a bridge. There are many questions left unanswered and i stand for and advocate for these grief stricken parents and their quest for more answers. As a loving parent myself, I would do the same as Owen's parents are in regards to looking and overturning every stone for my child, no doubt about it. I would also be highly offended by others opinions of how I should be grieving or that I need to accept very few answers, answers left unanswered in regards to my dead child. I will simply agree to disagree. You have your opinions and I have my own opinions.

I in no way am trying to be disorderly, but I have had a strange feeling about this case from the beginning, and I could be very wrong, but my spidey senses and overall going into, what's it is called, forgot the name, but i normally follow logic, but for some reason, something is telling me, something isn't right. I would rather it be looked further into and I found wrong, then it to be closed quickly, clean, and falsely.

Are you saying that all of the news reports are incorrect and that his body was not recovered from the water? On the FB page, a woman claims her father was the one who saw Owen's body floating in the water and authorities were called.

 

[rustbeltrose]

Parents have put out an open call for info on Owen’s death. Seems very concerning that the university hasn't given them more info on the Title IX incident. We also learn that the $150 was NOT found on Owen but his wallet was, and his phone wasn’t on him either.... Letter to the Editor: Owen Klinger's parents ask for UP students' help

 

[LAborn]

Parents have put out an open call for info on Owen’s death. Seems very concerning that the university hasn't given them more info on the Title IX incident. We also learn that the $150 was NOT found on Owen but his wallet was, and his phone wasn’t on him either.... Letter to the Editor: Owen Klinger's parents ask for UP students' help

Isn't title IX women in sports? I don't understand how this could be motive for anything.

 

[PdxErn]

Isn't title IX women in sports? I don't understand how this could be motive for anything.

Title IX also covers protection from sexual assault. I’m assuming that’s what the parents are referring to. The University of Portland is unfortunately notorious for covering up these kinds of cases and not taking the proper steps to find justice for women.

 

[bcbevan]

Fellow UP alumni here. I have had the same gut reaction every time someone has brought up the hazing theory. I don’t remember any hazing or even any bullying issues coming up during my three years living on campus. Further, the lacrosse team is a club team at UP, not the typical varsity college sport environment that some may be imagining.

As soon as I heard which direction he was going on willamette I also thought of the Freddie’s. Along willamette and side streets is also where the majority of upperclassmen live in cheap rental houses. I could easily see him headed toward one of these houses to meet up with some people.

I actually thought of hazing too. Clarkson University Alumni here. One of our rituals which i am not supposed to talk about was hanging from a train trestle while a train went over. Not saying this is the case here but he did say he was heading to practice but there was no practice at that time. We had code too. Nothing that could ever be disclosed publicly.

 

[bcbevan]

I actually thought of hazing too. Alumni here as well. One of our rituals which i am not supposed to talk about was hanging from a train trestle while a train went over. Not saying this is the case here but he did say he was heading to practice but there was no practice at that time. We had code too. Nothing that could ever be disclosed publicly.

Clarkson University

 

[Detectivediva]

I feel so sorry for the family. I'm sure it's super hard to accept this was so very likely self harm. Hopefully Owen is at peace and hopefully his family will get the answers and wisdom they are seeking.

 

[Bree1950]

I hope the family can have answers to their many questions so they can know what happened.

 

[Bree1950]

I read with interest about a Title IX incident that Owen’s parents refer to in their questions. I read the following in the Washington Post about a girl in 2016 who went to a lacrosse party and later reported being assaulted. Her father upset by the lack of assistance/accountability from the University ended up hitting the man in charge of Title IX at UP with a bat! Here is some of the article: “
In the meantime, Clara’s case quickly emerged as a local flash point in the national conversation over sexual assault on campus. Like many other colleges at the time, the University of Portland had been facing particularly heightened scrutiny over its Title IX policies.
Upon hearing her story, the Beacon newspaper wrote an editorial berating administrators over their response to Clara’s sexual misconduct complaint. Her allegations became the subject of a lengthy 2017 feature in Vice, on alcohol and consent. At least one school official quit, as students and parents alike bemoaned the school’s Title IX investigations as opaque and unfair.“
If Owen was trying to assist or be a witness to a Title IX investigation/incident on campus, maybe he was being pressured by someone to change what he reported he witnessed?

 

[Bree1950]

Isn't title IX women in sports? I don't understand how this could be motive for anything.

Title IX includes assault - Did someone tell Owen about an incident or was he a witness to an occurrence?

 

[LAborn]

I read with interest about a Title IX incident that Owen’s parents refer to in their questions. I read the following in the Washington Post about a girl in 2016 who went to a lacrosse party and later reported being assaulted. Her father upset by the lack of assistance/accountability from the University ended up hitting the man in charge of Title IX at UP with a bat! Here is some of the article: “
In the meantime, Clara’s case quickly emerged as a local flash point in the national conversation over sexual assault on campus. Like many other colleges at the time, the University of Portland had been facing particularly heightened scrutiny over its Title IX policies.
Upon hearing her story, the Beacon newspaper wrote an editorial berating administrators over their response to Clara’s sexual misconduct complaint. Her allegations became the subject of a lengthy 2017 feature in Vice, on alcohol and consent. At least one school official quit, as students and parents alike bemoaned the school’s Title IX investigations as opaque and unfair.“
If Owen was trying to assist or be a witness to a Title IX investigation/incident on campus, maybe he was being pressured by someone to change what he reported he witnessed?

Unpacking this, is it being implied that whatever Owen witnessed with regard to title IX resulted in his death? Please elaborate.

 

[melodyl]

It would have been evident during autopsy if he had been run over by a van.

Perhaps not run over, but jumped to avoid being run over? I know nothing about the murder that's being discussed here, just offering a "what if" type of response.

 

[evilwise]

Unpacking this, is it being implied that whatever Owen witnessed with regard to title IX resulted in his death? Please elaborate.

Sometimes witnesses are silenced, sometimes perpetrators take the easy way out and sometimes there is some combination. It's hard to say if it might play a part in this case but it seems fairly likely. As far as I've seen the Title IX investigation was probably the most stressful thing happening in Owen's life and his death happened on the night of a lacrosse practice that he did not go to.

 

[Kudzuu]

I IRC there wasn't practice that evening. He told his roommates he was going to a lacrosse meeting.

 

[Bree1950]

There is a new article in the Portland Oregonian. Owen’s autopsy found he was in water one week to less than a week! He was missing two weeks. One of the roommates was involved in the Title IX incident, had scratches on his legs, no longer attends the University and his family has hired a well known criminal defense attorney!

 

[happyday]

There is a new article in the Portland Oregonian. Owen’s autopsy found he was in water one week to less than a week! He was missing two weeks. One of the roommates was involved in the Title IX incident, had scratches on his legs, no longer attends the University and his family has hired a well known criminal defense attorney!

WOW. Thanks for this update.