The investigation into the death of a man whose body was found in Ridgefield last summer progressed Friday when detectives found helpful evidence while serving a search warrant and when the four men accused of murder were arraigned on more criminal charges.
Early Friday morning, detectives searched a residence and an adjoining building in Northeast Portland, one of which is the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club clubhouse, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Six people associated with the outlaw motorcycle gang already faced charges in connection to the death of Robert Lee Huggins, but some of those were arraigned Friday on charges stemming from a criminal indictment, Portland police Detective Jim Lawrence said.
Charges against Mark Dencklau, 56, of Woodburn, Ore.; Earl Fisher, 47, of Gresham, Ore.; Tiler Pribbernow, 34, of Portland; and Malichi Watkins, 32, of Camas were announced by police last week, though Friday’s indictment added more charges to each defendant.
Dencklau, Fisher and Pribbernow were arraigned on two counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, soliciting murder, two counts of kidnap, two counts of conspiracy to kidnap and two counts of soliciting kidnap.
Watkins, who is already in prison in Washington, now faces a charge of murder, two counts of kidnap and two counts of conspiracy to commit kidnap.
Ron Thompson, 51, of Portland and Kendra Castle, 43, of Gresham, Ore., also face charges of hindering prosecutors in the case.
Huggins was a 56-year-old transient whose body was found July 1, 2015, in an open field in Clark County.
Detectives at the Clark County Sheriff’s Office quickly followed the trail to Portland and worked with Lawrence and other detectives at the agency to determine that Huggins was a former member of the outlaw motorcycle gang and that he was killed by members and associates of the same gang, according to Lawrence.
“I think his friends found out that he was doing things they didn’t like him doing,” Lawrence said. “His death was a result of his recent activity.”
Investigators previously said that Huggins was last seen on June 30 in Northeast Portland, where he was kidnapped, according to Lawrence. He said that Friday’s search was related to the murder and murder conspiracy aspects of the crime, though he did not go into more detail.
Motorcycle gangs tend to be involved in the trafficking of weapons, drugs and stolen property and are willing to resort to violence to maintain order and keep their activity secret from law enforcement, investigators said.
“He died a horrible death,” Lawrence said, though he would not explain further. The Clark County medical examiner ruled that Huggins died of homicidal violence.
The warrants were served by Portland police’s Special Emergency Reaction Team with assistance from the Oregon State Police Special Weapons and Tactics unit and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Negotiation Team.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Lawrence at 503-823-0867 or james.lawrence@portlandoregon.gov.
