‘A really kind person’: 80-year-old woman found dead in suitcase on Sauvie Island
Authorities found the body of an 80-year-old woman inside a suitcase on the banks of the Willamette River on Sauvie Island on Monday.
PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - What started as a call regarding suspicious circumstances, on Monday, has turned into a murder investigation after authorities found the body of an 80-year-old woman inside a suitcase on the banks of the Willamette River on Sauvie Island.
A young couple who knew the victim and ended up purchasing her home, described her as a woman who was incredibly kind and believed it was her kindness that ultimately led her down a path of being taken advantage of time and time again.
Leslie Ortiz and Justin Misner explained they first met Judy Hurley in spring 2024 when they were looking to buy her home on North Syracuse Street in the St. John’s neighborhood.
“Judy was in a pretty bad spot,” Misner said.
The couple said Hurley was bedridden and people were living in her house without her permission and stealing from her.
“There were people that would come to the house and essentially use it as a base of operations to commit crimes such as stealing cars and there were cases of people squatting in the house that she didn’t know about because they were squatting on the upper floor and she was bedridden so there were people living in the house that she didn’t even know were living here,” Misner said.
Families with children are one of the fastest-growing groups experiencing homelessness in the U.S., according to the latest federal data.
With no family in the picture, the young couple ended up becoming the closest people to her.
“We helped her move out of this home and into a retirement home as well as helping her with going to doctor’s appointments and finding care for her,” Misner said. “We grew really attached. She would tell us that she loved us and told us that she thought we were family. She told us we were the only ones that like actually helped her the last couple of years.”
After Hurley left the retirement home for medical reasons, the couple said they lost contact with her and hadn’t heard from her or about her since the fall. However, that all changed on Friday when they discovered what had happened to her.
“I was disgusted and it’s horrible. Nobody deserves to go that way regardless of your history,” Ortiz said.
According to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Hurley’s body was found inside a suitcase on the banks of the Willamette River on Sauvie Island on Monday, Feb. 17.
“It’s hard to hear about any passing in general but to hear how she passed is really heartbreaking. I personally think it could’ve been prevented,” Misner said. “I believe that she was just a really kind person that just got taken advantage of.”
After gathering evidence to establish probable cause, 54-year-old Michael Moody was arrested at an apartment complex in north Portland. He was arraigned Friday on charges of murder and abuse of a corpse. He’s expected back in court on March 3.
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