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Ricardo Stokes Class of
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Departed~April 29th
2007~Murdered
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The above pictures were submitted by Bill
Jadwin 71'. Bill says these were of Ricardo's group "The
Internationals". Thank You so much Bill for sending these. Click the
thumbnails to view a larger image.
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Portland man convicted in revenge killing
by Steve Mayes, The Oregonian
Wednesday June 10, 2009, 3:33 PM
OREGON CITY - A Clackamas County jury convicted Wendell Kenneth Tate
today in the revenge killing of a 55-year-old man who had an affair with
Tate's wife.
Jurors deliberated six days before returning their verdict -- guilty
of aggravated murder, murder and burglary in the first degree. Tate
faces at least 30 years in prison and could receive the death penalty.
The sentencing phase of the case starts Thursday and will take about
five days.
Prosecutors said Tate, 40, of Portland staked out the Wilsonville
home of his victim, Ricardo Stokes in April 2007.
Russell Stokes, the victim's brother, said Tate deserves the death
penalty. "I'm pleased with the verdict (but) ... it was a hollow
victory," he said.
If Ricardo Stokes were alive, he would have seen his 22-year-old
daughter, Ricara, graduate from Seattle University on Saturday.
The case against Tate includes a particularly damning piece of
evidence. Hours after the killing, police found Tate's underwear,
splotched with Stokes' blood, stashed in a restaurant Dumpster less than
two blocks from Tate's Northeast Portland home.
An acquaintance of Stokes who went to the murder scene told
investigators that Stokes feared that Tate might try to harm him.
On the night of April 28, Tate drove to Stokes' house on Southwest
Essex Court and entered through a patio door. He went to the bedroom,
where he started hitting Stokes with a weapon that investigators never
identified or recovered.
"This was a straight up ambush. (Tate) found what he was looking
for, and the beating began, and the beating continued," said
Russell Amos, Clackamas County deputy district attorney.
Stunned and bloody, Stokes stumbled from bedroom to hallway to
bathroom trying to escape, Amos said. "This was a very personal
attack against someone who had something against Mr. Stokes."
Stokes, mortally wounded, struggled to a neighbor's house, where he
tried to identify his killer. He uttered the letters T and A with his
last breath, Amos said.
William D. Falls, one of Tate's attorneys, said police had made
several errors during the investigation and that DNA evidence was not
conclusive.
Although there was a fierce attack, Falls noted that none of Tate's
DNA was found at the crime scene and none of Stokes' DNA was found at
Tate's home.
Prosecutors conceded that detectives made minor errors during the
investigation but said they were not significant. They said Stokes
feared Tate and talked about getting a restraining order again.
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OREGON CITY, Ore. - A Portland man charged in a weekend murder in
Wilsonville made his first court appearance on Monday.
Wendell Tate did not say much and his family did not want to say
anything either after his arraignment.
The 38-year-old northeast Portland man faces one count of
Aggravated Murder, one count of Murder and a burglary charge.
Tate is accused of beating and stabbing 51-year-old Ricardo Stokes
inside the man's Wilsonville home late Saturday night. Stokes stumbled
to a neighbor's home after the attack, but later died.
Stoke's ex-wife said he will be missed, especially by his children.
"He
loves his children," Cynthia Stokes said. "They're
there on a regular basis. He was at his son's lacrosse game on
Thursday night and saw him play the best lacrosse game to date.
He had dinner with his daughter a week ago Sunday."
Investigators believe Ricardo Stokes had some sort of relationship
with Wendell Tate's wife, who worked with Cynthia Stokes, but whether
that had anything to do with the killing is still to be determined.
Tate was ordered held without bail and is scheduled to appear in
court again on May 7.
Meanwhile, detectives spent the day at the crime scene in
Wilsonville gathering evidence.
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Man
brutally killed at home
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Date
Published to Web: 5/2/2007
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Ricardo C. Stokes was taking steps to start a new life. He’d
quit his job as manager of a furniture store in Tigard. His home at 6564
S.W. Essex Court in Wilsonville, where he lived alone, was on the
market. The long-divorced father of two adult children, ages 18 and 21,
was even talking about going into business for himself. “His passion
was either to start his own furniture company, which he’d done in the
past, or flip houses,” his next door neighbor to the south, Andy
Bennett, said. But Stokes’s dreams, and his life, came to a tragic end
early Sunday morning. Police and medical personnel were summoned to his
home, in the Arbor Trail at Landover subdivision, just after midnight.
They found him on the front porch of his immediate neighbor to the
north. He was apparently trying to get help – but paramedics weren’t
able to save him. According to medical examiners, an autopsy determined
that Stokes died of blunt and sharp force trauma. “He attempted to
seek refuge there and medical assistance, and he died there on the
neighbor’s front porch,” CCSO spokesman Det. Jim Strovink said.
“Investigators discovered they had what appeared to be a very violent
crime scene. It appears the victim provided a very good struggle.” The
crime scene, consisting of the two houses, was described as “large”
and “bloody.” At around 8 a.m. Sunday, police questioned and then
arrested Wendell Kenneth Tate, 38, of Northeast Portland, at his home.
Tate was lodged with no bail in the Clackamas County Jail, initially on
one count of murder. Later the charges were expanded to include one
count of aggravated murder and one count of burglary as well. An
aggravated murder conviction carries three possible sentences: life in
prison with a 30-year minimum, life with no possibility of parole, or
death by lethal injection. According to Strovink, police determined
early on that there was a link between Stokes and Tate’s wife. “We
have that triangular type of relationship that existed,” Strovink
said. “Everyone is identified in that respect. We don’t have some
violent stranger roaming through Wilsonville.” Authorities got a
warrant and searched Tate’s home on 58th Avenue near Sandy Boulevard
in Northeast Portland later Sunday morning. The investigation continues.
Those with information pertaining to this crime may call the CCSO Tip
Line, 503-723-4949. Tate was arraigned in Clackamas County Circuit Court
on Monday afternoon via video link from the county jail. Tate spoke only
to acknowledge his name. He was seen wearing a padded blue
suicide-prevention smock, which is mandatory per jail policy for at
least the 48 hours in custody when the inmate is facing serious charges
such as murder, jail commander Capt. Don Howard said. Judge Jeffrey S.
Jones presided over the one-minute hearing. He scheduled a preliminary
hearing for May 7 and told Tate, “You will be held in custody without
bail.” Daniel Woram, a court-appointed criminal defense attorney from
Oregon City, is representing Tate.
Neighbors, family react
The Clackamas County Major Crimes Unit and the Oregon State Police Crime
Lab remained on the scene Sunday morning and afternoon, conducting their
investigation. Police from Canby and Portland assisted. The cul-de-sac
was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape. Neighbors were informed
of the crime early Sunday morning. “The shock of the neighbors in this
quiet community, it’s very disturbing to them,” Strovink said. The
victim’s former wife, Cynthia Stokes, and their daughter visited the
crime scene at midday Sunday. Cynthia Stokes didn’t speak then, but
did talk to the media briefly following Tate’s arraignment. “It was
an unfortunate event,” she said. “He was a loving father. By the
grace of God go we. This is truly an opportunity to express more love
out of an event that is tearful.” She said that she and Ricardo kept
in touch and he saw their children regularly. “It (the couple’s
split) was amicable for the most part,” she added. “He will be
missed,” she said, “especially at those future events we would have
had as a blended family. “Lots of people in the community have shown
love to my children,” she added. Former Wilsonville resident Rick
Noonan, who moved to Georgia four years ago, used to live next door to
Stokes. They were friends and so were their children. Both families
moved into the cul-de-sac when the homes were first built, back in 1996.
They stayed in touch after the Noonans moved away. “He was just a very
hard-working, disciplined guy who was very loving and very caring,” he
said. “He had a pride of ownership around his house, and he was a good
neighbor to have.” Noonan remembered working with Stokes on various
projects around their yards. “He was naturally fit and very strong,”
Noonan said. Bennett said he talked to Stokes twice on Saturday, less
than a day before Stokes was killed. “He was out on the driveway with
a friend of his,” he said. Noonan said it was shocking to realize that
his friend is gone. “You just don’t think of these things happening
to someone close to you,” he said. “It’s always someone else in a
far away place.”
Prior murder cases
The murder was the second incident of homicidal violence in just over a
year in Wilsonville. Last April, police found the bodies of Timmie
O’Neil and Craig Stumpf in their Charbonneau residence. Joseph Ray
O’Neil is in the Clackamas County Jail awaiting trail for their
murders. Prior to that, one would have to go back 15 years for the last
homicide in Wilsonville. Lisa Flormoe of Eugene was killed in a
Charbonneau home by Todd Davilla, who was then a Canby High School
student living nearby. Davilla is in the Clackamas County Jail awaiting
a resentencing after serving the last 15 years in prison for the crime.
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UPDATE:
Services due Saturday for Ricardo Stokes
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Story by: Curt Kipp
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Date
Published to Web: 5/4/2007
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A memorial service for Ricardo C. Stokes will be at 10 a.m.
Saturday, May 5, 2007 at Southlake Foursquare Church, 1555 S.W. Borland
Road, West Linn.
Stokes, 55, died April 29 of homicidal violence near his home in
Wilsonville.
The service was moved to a larger facility to accommodate an
expected larger crowd. The Wilsonville High School choir -- which
includes Stokes's son, Remington -- is scheduled to perform at the
service.
Mr. Stokes was born Dec. 13, 1951 in New York City. He graduated
from high school and worked in sales. He resided in Mt. Holly, N.J.;
Spokane, Wash.; and Wilsonville.
Mr. Stokes is survived by his mother, Kathryne Stokes; by sister
Charmaine Stokes and brother Russ Stokes Jr.; daughter Ricara Stokes and
sons Remington and Ryan Stokes; and stepchildren Jason Lear, A.J. Lear,
Alyxx Palo and Erynn Palo.
A memorial fund has been set up at Washington Mutual Bank for the
Stokes children.
Cornwell Colonial Chapel of Wilsonville (503-682-1177) is in care
of arrangements.
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Obituaries
- 5-9-07
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Date
Published to Web: 5/8/2007
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Ricardo C. Stokes
A memorial service for Ricardo Clinton Stokes was held Saturday, May 5,
2007 at Southlake Foursquare Church, 1555 S.W. Borland Road, West Linn.
Stokes, 55, died April 29 in Wilsonville. Mr. Stokes was born Dec. 13,
1951 in Harlem, New York City. He graduated from high school and worked
in sales. He resided in Mt. Holly, N.J.; Spokane, Wash.; and
Wilsonville. Mr. Stokes is survived by his mother, Kathryne Stokes; by
sister Charmaine Stokes and brother Russ Stokes Jr.; daughter Ricara
Stokes and sons Remington and Ryan Stokes; and stepchildren Jason Lear,
A.J. Lear, Alyxx Palo and Erynn Palo. A memorial fund has been set up at
Washington Mutual Bank for the Stokes children. Cornwell Colonial Chapel
of Wilsonville (503-682-1177) is in care of arrangements.
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