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

[Lilibet]

Good news indeed!

 

[LinasK]

Slight update: Just checked OJD, and there is a new hearing scheduled in a week:

• 07/28/2022 Hearing - Status Check
  
  Judicial Officer(s)
  Ramras, Christopher, Ramras, Christopher
  
  Hearing Time
  8:30 AM
  
  Comment
  Dates/briefing schedule

 

[Niner]

It has been awhile since he was in court & I shall shorten this up a bit.

Thursday, July 28th:
*Status Check Hearing (both cases) (@ 8:30am 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/now 53) 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.
*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) - *Christopher Charles Lovrien (52/now 53) charged (3/10/21), indicted (4/30/20), re-indicted (3/10/21) & 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.
Trial set to begin on 9/30/22 with jury selection (at 8:30am) 12-person jury. Trial begins on 10/3/22 (@ 9am)
Dribin: Court info from 5/5/20 thru 4/26/22 & Griffin: Court info from 3/16/21 thru 4/26/22 reference post #568 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...2-portland-02-july-1999-arrest.153627/page-29
5/20/22: State's response to defendant's Motion to Sever. 5/30/22: Memorandum-reply to Motion to Sever. Next motion to sever hearing on 6/6/22.
6/6/22 Update: Hearing was held re defense's Motion to Sever. Present: Dep. DA Kirsten Snowden, Defendant court appointed attorny Rachel Philips & privately retained attorney Ryan Scott. Lovrien was present for the hearing. The lead defense attorney Scott argued that it was "prejudicial" to try the cases together.
[per LinasK: So we now know what their defenses are going to be: He's claiming that we don't even know if Mark is dead- implying that he just walked away from his life & never contacted his family for over 20 years & abandoned his car, job & house. (None of which Mark would do, plus there's the blood spatter). They are focusing on the paper which Ken found in Mark's house with Lovrien's contact information on it. For Griffin's case, he's going with Self-Defense, which is also laughable because it's his 2nd killing, and he dismembered the body.]
The judge agreed to take the motion "under advisement" and make his decision in a few weeks, hopefully as soon as two weeks. Next motions hearing on 9/16/22.
6/29/22 Update: The Judge decided there will be one trial for both cases, they will not be severed. 7/22/22 Update: Status check hearing on 7/28/22 for dates/briefing schedule. Then motions hearing on 9/16/22.

 

[LinasK]

It has been awhile since he was in court & I shall shorten this up a bit.

Thursday, July 28th:
*Status Check Hearing (both cases) (@ 8:30am 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/now 53) 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.
*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) - *Christopher Charles Lovrien (52/now 53) charged (3/10/21), indicted (4/30/20), re-indicted (3/10/21) & 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.
Trial set to begin on 9/30/22 with jury selection (at 8:30am) 12-person jury. Trial begins on 10/3/22 (@ 9am)
Dribin: Court info from 5/5/20 thru 4/26/22 & Griffin: Court info from 3/16/21 thru 4/26/22 reference post #568 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...2-portland-02-july-1999-arrest.153627/page-29
5/20/22: State's response to defendant's Motion to Sever. 5/30/22: Memorandum-reply to Motion to Sever. Next motion to sever hearing on 6/6/22.
6/6/22 Update: Hearing was held re defense's Motion to Sever. Present: Dep. DA Kirsten Snowden, Defendant court appointed attorny Rachel Philips & privately retained attorney Ryan Scott. Lovrien was present for the hearing. The lead defense attorney Scott argued that it was "prejudicial" to try the cases together.
[per LinasK: So we now know what their defenses are going to be: He's claiming that we don't even know if Mark is dead- implying that he just walked away from his life & never contacted his family for over 20 years & abandoned his car, job & house. (None of which Mark would do, plus there's the blood spatter). They are focusing on the paper which Ken found in Mark's house with Lovrien's contact information on it. For Griffin's case, he's going with Self-Defense, which is also laughable because it's his 2nd killing, and he dismembered the body.]
The judge agreed to take the motion "under advisement" and make his decision in a few weeks, hopefully as soon as two weeks. Next motions hearing on 9/16/22.
6/29/22 Update: The Judge decided there will be one trial for both cases, they will not be severed. 7/22/22 Update: Status check hearing on 7/28/22 for dates/briefing schedule. Then motions hearing on 9/16/22.

Thank you for the excellent summary Niner! I've been out all day running errands with my family, so I wasn't able to check sooner. I just received a messasge from Ken that the trial is pushed back to next July. Don't know the reasons why. So hearing in Sept. is cancelled. Next one is October. I'll post the OJD dates here:

 

[LinasK]

 

[LinasK]

 

[LinasK]

 

[LinasK]

 

[LinasK]

I'll try to call Ken this evening to get more details. He wants to know why Lovrien still has a Public Defender when he has the money to pay for a private attorney. Why both?

 

[LinasK]

Ken seems to think that the trial was pushed back due to scheduling conflicts between the judge, and professional witnesses. He'll let me know when he has more answers.

 

[Niner]

Thanks for the update @LinasK !

 

[carbuff]

Ken seems to think that the trial was pushed back due to scheduling conflicts between the judge, and professional witnesses. He'll let me know when he has more answers.

Ugh. Could this drag on any slower? I'm all for fair trials but this is getting ridiculous.

 

[LinasK]

Ugh. Could this drag on any slower? I'm all for fair trials but this is getting ridiculous.

Thank you. We agree. Ken is just happy that he's behind bars, but Ken is getting on in age- hurt his back yesterday, and I fear he might not last to see justice.

 

[carbuff]

Thank you. We agree. Ken is just happy that he's behind bars, but Ken is getting on in age- hurt his back yesterday, and I fear he might not last to see justice.

That's very sad.

 

[Niner]

Thank you. We agree. Ken is just happy that he's behind bars, but Ken is getting on in age- hurt his back yesterday, and I fear he might not last to see justice.

So sorry to hear about Ken! Send him our good wishes for a speedy recovery!!

Any changes yet - still October 3 for case management hearing next? TIA!

 

[DFWNF]

Thank you. We agree. Ken is just happy that he's behind bars, but Ken is getting on in age- hurt his back yesterday, and I fear he might not last to see justice.

Sending healing thoughts to Ken, and all of Mark's family and friends. So very sad.

 

[Springrain]

Ugh. Could this drag on any slower? I'm all for fair trials but this is getting ridiculous.

Yeah, it's just getting absurd at this point. They seriously need to work it out to get justice for Mark and his family instead of just messing around.

Thank you. We agree. Ken is just happy that he's behind bars, but Ken is getting on in age- hurt his back yesterday, and I fear he might not last to see justice.

Sending wishes of healing and health to Ken.

 

[Laughing]

Thank you. We agree. Ken is just happy that he's behind bars, but Ken is getting on in age- hurt his back yesterday, and I fear he might not last to see justice.

Prayers & healing for Ken!

Through you, Ken at least knows that we here care about Mark, and await justice for him.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[LinasK]

Ken called me a couple of nights ago to tell me that he heard that there was a hearing this month to set dates, but when I just checked the OJD website, I don't see anything about it. I forgot to ask him if he had asked about why Lovrien gets a Public Defender when he's paying for an attorney. I was on the road on the way back from Portland. He is up and about though.

 

[LinasK]

Ken just called to say that the next hearing is 10/3, and that it's a status hearing. He has been calling the Victim's Advocate to try to get answers as to why Lovrien has both a paid lawyer and a public defender. He's doing well. That's all for now... Check back in a couple of weeks.