A Multnomah County court move expected this afternoon could send a Portland man accused in a 2022 Old Town killing to the Oregon State Hospital for the rest of his life. Court filings show a stipulated-facts "guilty except for insanity" proceeding is scheduled to wrap up today in the case of 24-year-old Kalil Clifford Ford.
Stipulated GEI Trial Set For Friday Afternoon
According to court records and reporting by KATU, Ford has a stipulated-facts guilty except for insanity, or GEI, trial set for 1 p.m. before Multnomah County Judge Nan Waller. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office told KATU it expects Ford will be found guilty except for insanity and committed to the state hospital for life.
How The Violence Unfolded
Police say the killing happened on Sept. 30, 2022, when 53-year-old Mark Davis was found stabbed to death in Old Town near the intersection of Northwest Couch Street and Northwest Broadway, according to KPTV. Officers arrested Ford at the scene, and he was later charged with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon.
Earlier Attack And Upgraded Charges
Court documents and coverage by KATU state that Ford allegedly attacked a woman in the same apartment complex lobby on Sept. 28, 2022, punching her and hitting her with a broom handle. He reportedly told police, "She made me assault her," and was initially charged only with misdemeanor assault, then released after arraignment.
After surveillance video of that incident surfaced, prosecutors upgraded the charges to 11 counts, including assault, kidnapping and robbery. Court records show Ford was found unfit to stand trial in July 2023, then later found fit in October 2023. The victim’s family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit alleging the city should have kept Ford in custody after the earlier assault, and a civil trial in that case is scheduled for July 2026.
What Guilty Except For Insanity Means
In Oregon, a GEI finding means the defendant is not convicted in the usual way but is placed under the jurisdiction of the Psychiatric Security Review Board, and in most cases is committed to the Oregon State Hospital for a period tied to the maximum possible sentence for the crimes, according to guidance from the Oregon Psychiatric Security Review Board. The PSRB oversees conditional release decisions, hearings and victim notifications while the person remains under its authority.
Family Reaction
The victim’s family has pressed for accountability since the killing. After the 2022 stabbing, Davis’s ex-wife told KPTV she wanted justice and described the loss as devastating for the children. With the criminal case now expected to end in a GEI finding, the civil lawsuit and future PSRB proceedings have become the main venues where the family and prosecutors will continue to seek answers.
