Oregon man serving 2 life terms in shooting deaths of roommates dies in custody
Updated Feb 05, 2021;
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By Staff and wire reports
The Oregon Department of Corrections said 25-year-old Mitchell Julio Morris, who had been incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution near Ontario, died in an infirmary.
The corrections agency does not release the cause or manner of inmate deaths. But it is unlikely Morris died from COVID-19 because the state released his name and typically does not identify inmates who succumb to the coronavirus.
Morris was convicted in 2017 of two counts of aggravated murder in the February 2016 deaths of 18-year-old Bailee Ray Southwick and 21-year-old Mackenzie Lyman in Crooked River Ranch.
Police: Convicted murderer serving life in prison dies
February 6, 2021 GMT
ONTARIO, Ore. (AP) An Oregon man who was serving life in prison for the shooting deaths of his two roommates in 2016 has died, authorities said.
The Oregon Department of Corrections said Mitchell Julio Morris, 25, died in an infirmary while incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Friday.
The department does not release the cause or manner of inmate deaths. It is unlikely he died from COVID-19 because the state identified the inmate’s name, something it does not do for virus-related deaths.
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Morris was convicted of two counts of aggravated murder in 2017, a year after the deaths of 18-year-old Bailee Ray Southwick and 21-year-old Mackenzie Lyman in Crooked River Ranch.
MALHEUR COUNTY
According to a news release Thursday afternoon from Malheur County Health Department, COVID-19 outbreaks are on the rise locally, with the most significant spikes in Vale and Ontario.
âWeâre very concerned with this trend of outbreaks, especially in the 97918 ZIP code, including Vale and Willowcreek areas,â said Sarah Poe, director of the health department, in a news release.
âWith a number of new infections linked in the last three weeks, there is the potential for a significant increase in cases when people donât follow precautions. This hurts schools and businesses and risks the health and safety of the elderly and most vulnerable. We need to act swiftly as a community to stop the spread.â