It has been seven years to the day since the unresolved murder of Brian Spaulding, and his parents continue to seek answers. On June 12, 2017, Spaulding was found deceased from gunshot wounds in his Portland home. The investigation into his death remains open, with a combination of rewards from Crime Stoppers of Oregon and family-raised funds totaling $22,500 for information leading to an arrest.
George Spaulding, Brian's father, still believes firmly that there are individuals out there with knowledge of the circumstances surrounding his son’s death. "There’s one person that knows exactly why this terrible thing happened to Brian, and that’s the person who pulled the trigger," he told KOIN 6 News. The family's search for closure is centered not just on who committed the crime, but also the motive behind it. As George Spaulding conveyed to KGW, "The bottom line for us is to get closure on the why factor," he said. "We know how, a gunshot, and we know where, in his own room. And we know when, seven years ago, but we don't know why and we don't know who."
Brian Spaulding's body was discovered by his father after he failed to appear at work, prompting a check at his residence at Northeast 10th Avenue near Irving Park. While investigators have described the evidence as scant, they agree with the Spaulding family that Brian was an unlikely target and had no fault in the events that led to his death.
The Portland Police Bureau's Cold Case Unit is actively involved in the investigation. Despite the passage of time, officials and the Spauldings maintain hope that new information will emerge. "The detectives are very certain that it was no fault of Brian's," said George Spaulding, expressing his belief in his son’s innocence and the randomness of the attack, "Somebody made a really rash and stupid decision and took somebody who was very near and dear to us. We miss him every day." The determination to find justice for Brian remains undeterred, with the Spaulding family and law enforcement urging anyone with information to come forward.
