April 8, 2025
Multnomah County Judge Christopher Marshall found James Calvin Smith Guilty Except for Insanity on three counts connected to the killing of 26-year old Haley Rogers.
Smith stabbed Rogers to death as she worked alone on the night shift at a mental health care facility.
The judgment came after a stipulated-facts trial in which both the prosecution and defense agreed on facts they submitted to the judge. The facts in this case included evaluations by both prosecution and defense doctors who each found the defendant suffered from mental illness at the time of the crime and lacked the ability to appreciate the criminality of that conduct.
Judge Marshall found Smith is a ‘substantial danger to others’ and shall be confined to the Oregon State Hospital under the authority of the Oregon Psychiatric Security Review Board for a lifetime term.
Haley’s mother Meshell Rogers addressed the court at the hearing and said her daughter loved caring for the mentally ill.
She called her daughter “the most loving person I’ve ever met. If she survived she’d be here advocating for Mr. Smith,” she said.
Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Sean Hughey prosecuted the case for the state. He said: “Nothing can undo the tragedy of Haley’s death and the pain felt by her family and loved ones. This resolution recognizes the public safety risk posed by Mr. Smith and the need that he be committed to a secure psychiatric treatment facility for a lifetime term.”
The DA’s office would also like to thank Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office Victim Advocate Allison Miller for their care and compassion toward the family during this difficult case, Lead Detective Frederick Huffman and the East County Major Crimes Team.
Here is our earlier press release from the indictment of Smith in 2023.
Indictment, Arraignment of James Calvin Smith in Group Home Homicide Case
July 25, 2023
James Calvin Smith, 59, was indicted and arraigned on charges related to the homicide of an employee at a group home in Gresham earlier this month.
FACTS:
In the morning of July 16, Gresham Police officers responded to McCarthy Place, which is a group home for adults with mental health care needs, after receiving a 911 call from a day-shift staff member. The staff member reported that she arrived for her 7 a.m. shift when she found a night-shift staff member deceased from apparent stab wounds. Upon arrival, officers observed signs of an apparent struggle in the common area and, based on other physical evidence and witness information, they identified Smith as the suspect and took him into custody.
Following the initial investigation, Deputy District Attorney Sean Hughey presented the case to the Grand Jury, which resulted in an indictment (filed July 24) on three charges:
Murder in the Second Degree
Unlawful Use of a Weapon
Tampering with Physical Evidence
Smith appeared for arraignment today in front of Judge Christopher Ramras, where he entered a plea of not guilty.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office thanks the Gresham Police Department and the East County Major Crimes Team for their assistance in this case.