A Salem man was sentenced to 25 years in prison with a lifetime of supervision to follow after pleading guilty to a violent sexual assault on a woman walking to work last year. Jonathan Muhire, now 20, admitted to a string of felony charges tied to the June 2025 attack near Southeast Commercial Street, and a Marion County judge told him directly that he poses a danger to any woman in his presence.
Guilty Plea Covers Kidnapping, Sexual Abuse and Weapon Charges
Muhire pleaded guilty to first-degree kidnapping, first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, unlawful use of a weapon and second-degree attempted assault, according to KOIN. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Tuesday, per the outlet's report, with lifetime supervision to follow once he is released. Muhire will also be required to register as a sex offender after serving his sentence.
The attack unfolded in June 2025 as the victim was walking to work on Southeast Commercial Street, the station reported. Muhire approached her, and when she told him she did not have a boyfriend, he grabbed her and would not let her walk away, according to the same account.
Victim Fought Back With a Knife Before Escaping
Muhire then shoved the woman into bushes and down a steep embankment, where he physically assaulted her and slammed her head into the ground, the report states. The woman tried to defend herself with a knife, but Muhire disarmed her and used the weapon against her before she was able to fight her way toward the road, where a passerby yelled and frightened him off, per the outlet's account.
Salem police canvassed the area afterward and located Muhire still wearing the distinct jacket the victim had described, the station reported. That identification led directly to his arrest and, ultimately, to the guilty plea that closed out the case in court.
Judge Says Muhire Showed Zero Mercy
At sentencing, the judge told Muhire that he represents a threat to any woman who chooses to walk alone or who finds herself in his presence, according to the same reporting. Chief Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy said he hoped the victim would find some measure of justice as she continues healing from what he called the horrors of the event.
As reported by KATU, Muhire was 19 years old at the time he approached the victim in the early morning hours. The Marion County District Attorney's Office confirmed the 25-year sentence, and the case now stands as one of the more serious violent-assault prosecutions to move through Marion County Circuit Court this year.
