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Prosecutors Won’t Charge Oregon Man Who Killed Landlord Dressed As Michael Myers
The unidentified former tenant allegedly killed Justin Valdivia, 46, with a “saberlike” sword in September after his former landlord ambushed him wearing the iconic mask from the slasher franchise “Halloween.”
A Portland man who used a sword to kill his ex-landlord, who, at the time, was disguised as fictitious serial killer Michael Myers, won’t be criminally charged, officials said.
The unidentified tenant acted in self-defense when he fatally stabbed 46-year-old landlord Justin Valdivia after he allegedly attacked him with a hammer and a pellet gun in September, prosecutors said. The tenant won’t face criminal charges, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office confirmed this month, the Willamette Week reported.
The incident stretches back to Sept. 15, when Valdivia appeared unannounced in the man's guest suite wearing a blue jumpsuit and the ghostly mask of Michael Myers, the supernatural mass murderer from the notorious “Halloween” franchise, per a prosecutor’s memo.
The man, who kept a “saberlike” sword stashed in his couch, was alerted to Valdivia’s presence inside the residence due to a “makeshift alarm” he’d erected using a shoe box. Prosecutors say the contraption was intended to “create a lot of noise if the door was opened.” The tenant had been watching YouTube videos at the time Valdivia illegally entered his space. Valdivia was holding a hammer and a pellet gun at the time, he said, per the Willamette Week report.
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In response, Valdivia’s former tenant retrieved his sword and a “struggle then ensued,” which ultimately ended after the Oregon man stabbed his landlord. Another tenant at the property attempted life-saving measures on Valdivia, but the 46-year-old was pronounced dead after emergency workers arrived on-scene.
A pellet gun, which had been painted black to “resemble a real firearm,” was located near Valdvia’s body, according to officials.
The man who allegedly stabbed him to death was identified as a former tenant who had recently moved out. He had supposedly been staying in Valdivia’s home as a guest. Valdivia rented the property to a number of tenants who stayed on-site, police said.
Specifics, such as what exactly led to the dispute between the two men, weren’t released by investigators.
Valdivia’s tenants, however, told law enforcement that their relationship with the Oregon landlord had spiraled in the weeks leading up to his death. They alleged he threatened them with a knife on at least two occasions and once attempted to illegally enter their suite while intoxicated at 4 a.m., according to reports.
Valdivia’s former tenant, who allegedly attacked him with a sword, had allegedly filmed past encounters with the landlord, which documented his purported aggressive and violent behavior.
Prosecutors ultimately concluded that Valdivia was killed by his former tenant while carrying out a burglary.
“[Valdivia was] wielding what appeared to be two dangerous and deadly weapons," prosecutors’ memo stated.
According to his obituary, Valdivia, a married man, was a lifelong musician, writer and gregarious storyteller who deeply loved his family. He was born and raised in Phoenix.
"Justin loved to laugh and make others laugh, and was willing to do almost anything to reap that reward," his obituary stated.
Prosecutors haven’t released additional information. Multnomah County District Attorney’s didn’t immediately respond to Oxygen.com’s request for comment on Wednesday.
