Gaston Man, 66, Charged in 1994 Strangling of 85-Year-Old Neighbor
, Wait — the unit funds two cold case detectives and a forensic consultant working alongside the Washington County Sheriff's Office, according to the <a href='https://washingtoncountyda.org/da/news/2026/08/05/washington-county-da-cold-case-unit-investigation-leads-murder-charges-1994-unsolved-homicide' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>Washington County District Attorney's Office</a>. In March 2023, the unit solved the 1988 murder of Deborah Atrops using re-examined DNA evidence, leading to the conviction of her estranged husband, Robert Atrops. Senior Deputy District Attorney Allison Brown managed both that case and the Hardebeck prosecution.</p><p>In February 2026, the unit partnered with Hillsboro Police to solve the 1992 murder of 82-year-old Elizabeth Wasson, matching crime-scene DNA to serial killer Cesar Barone, who died in prison in 2009, as reported by <a href='http://www.flashalert.net/images/news/2026-02/6208/186677/Cesar_Barone_Cold_Case_Murder.pdf' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>Portland Observer</a>. Barone had been convicted of four other murders in 1995. The Hardebeck case marks the unit's latest success using modern forensic re-analysis to close decades-old files.</p><p>"Using today's science to solve yesterday's crimes helps ensure justice for victims, their families, and the community," Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton said in a statement announcing the arrest.</p><h3>Mandatory 25-Year Sentence Looms Under Measure 11</h3><p>Second-degree murder is classified as a Measure 11 offense under Oregon law, carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole upon conviction, according to <a href='https://www.findlaw.com/state/oregon-law/oregon-murder-laws.html' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>FindLaw</a>. Oregon classifies intentional homicides committed without premeditation under that statute. Gall now faces that mandatory term if he is convicted of killing Hardebeck.</p><h3>Remembered for Her Gardens and Canning</h3><p>Hardebeck spent her life in Gaston as a homemaker, remembered by family for her extensive flower beds, gardens, and canning work on the rural property where she died, per KGW. Hoodline first covered the case last year when <a href='https://hoodline.com/2025/07/washington-county-da-s-office-receives-grant-for-renewed-probe-into-1994-gaston-cold-case-homicide/' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>the DA's office secured funding</a> for renewed testing — a grant that, more than a year later, helped identify the man now accused of killing her.</p>
