PORTLAND, OR – A tumultuous evening turned deadly as an Oregon man was convicted of brutally killing his friend, followed by a grisly cover-up. Robert Thomas Colon, 44, was found guilty of murdering Andrew Hathaway, 27, after a fight spiraled out of control on September 5, 2018.
This decision came last week from a Multnomah County jury and was announced by the District Attorney’s Office. Colon is expected to be sentenced on Wednesday and could face life in prison, with the possibility of parole after serving 25 years.
Before the trial commenced, Colon admitted to charges of arson, corpse abuse, and tampering with evidence. These admissions stem from the chaotic series of events on the fateful night when Colon, Hathaway, and two other men were reportedly consuming drugs. An altercation broke out between Colon and Hathaway, which ended with Hathaway fatally stabbed, according to prosecutors.
Authorities detailed that Colon and a friend concealed Hathaway’s body in the trunk of his own vehicle, which they later set on fire in a deserted area. Firefighters responding to the scene discovered charred human remains, later identified as Hathaway.
The medical examination revealed that Hathaway suffered 55 stab wounds and additional slice wounds. Despite the court proceedings, the motive behind the violent eruption remains unknown.
The case took a toll on both the legal teams and the victim’s family, given the complexity and emotional weight of the investigation. Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Shawn Overstreet, who helmed the prosecution, expressed relief at the verdict. He acknowledged the exhaustive efforts to navigate the convoluted mix of evidence and misinformation that initially clouded the investigation.
Hathaway’s family, who endured the trail of uncertainty and despair for over seven years, found a measure of solace with the conviction, according to Overstreet. Although the motive for the killing remains elusive, the conviction represented a long-sought-after conclusion for those seeking justice on behalf of the victim.
The tragic trajectory from a fight among acquaintances to a brutal murder underscores the devastating consequences of violence and substance misuse. While the trial has concluded, the impact lingers for both the convicted and those left grieving a life cut short.