A long-running homicide investigation along Portland’s Columbia River Slough has reached a turning point, with deputies arresting a suspect more than two years after the killing of Jeremy Gurtner. Investigators say the break follows years of steady detective work backed by tips from the public.
Detectives with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, working alongside the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, arrested 44-year-old Marco Antonio Herrera on Friday, May 22, after task force members received information that he was at a home in the 200 block of Southwest 8th Avenue in Portland, according to KATU. Herrera was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center at 1:02 p.m. on a no-bail hold for second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement, and he is scheduled to appear in Multnomah County court at 9 a.m. on May 26, the outlet reports.
Case background
Gurtner’s body was recovered on April 8, 2022, in the Columbia River Slough near the intersection of Northeast 105th Avenue and Northeast Alderwood Road. The Oregon State Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound, and detectives with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office took the lead on the investigation, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective Daren Taber at 503-988-4356 or [email protected].
In the months after Gurtner’s body was found, his family publicly pressed for answers while Crime Stoppers put up a reward that drew coverage from local media. KPTV reported on the initial reward notice in 2022, and in 2024 the sheriff’s office again highlighted the case when it asked the public to review unsolved cases that included Gurtner’s.
Court date and charges
Herrera remains in custody on a no-bail hold for second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement and is due in court on May 26, according to KATU. Prosecutors will decide whether to file formal charges as the case moves through arraignment.
Investigative partners
The sheriff’s office credited the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, the East County Major Crimes Team and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office for helping locate and apprehend Herrera. Investigators say the arrest stems from years of collaborative detective work and community tips, and they emphasize that the case remains active as it shifts into the courts.
