Nearly five years after he ran over three women with his SUV near Portland State University, Gregory Porter has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree attempted murder, the Multnomah County District Attorney announced Monday.
Porter, who is 65, was also found guilty except for insanity on a third count of attempted murder, meaning he will serve at least part of his 20-year prison sentence under the jurisdiction of the Psychiatric Security Review Board. After Monday’s hearing, Porter was taken to Oregon State Hospital. If he’s released from the psychiatric hospital, he’ll spend the rest of his prison sentence at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem.
In May 2018, Porter struck several pedestrians while driving a Mazda Tribute near Southwest 6th Avenue and Hall Street. He swerved onto the sidewalk, hit one woman, kept driving and hit two more women, leaving a bloody path of bodies and tire skid marks – and traumatizing a crowd consisting mostly of students walking to classes.
Witnesses also said Porter tried to hit a group of men but was stopped by a MAX train. The three victims were severely injured but survived. One of them was a freshman at PSU at the time, and needed emergency surgery. The second woman had a broken leg, and the third suffered a lacerated liver and spleen.
Since he was arrested, Porter has been in and out of the Oregon State Hospital, delaying his case until a psychological evaluation last year found him competent enough to face criminal prosecution.
It’s not clear what mental illness Porter suffers from; psychiatric diagnoses are usually withheld from the public. But reports from people who knew Porter said he has delusions. An initial police report after his arrest included a warning that Porter was suicidal.
– Savannah Eadens; seadens@oregonian.com; 503-221-6651; @savannaheadens