PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An Oregon woman was sentenced to a minimum of 45 years in prison after being convicted of murder in Clackamas County.
Amanda Gregson, 44, was found guilty of murdering 56-year-old Jerry Burns and 25-year old Connor Gaines at the Reflections Apartment Complex on March 20.
Court documents show Gregson fled the crime scene before police could arrive, though she was later arrested at the nearby Monarch Hotel where she was reportedly knocking on doors and saying, “people were after her.”
Although Gregson and her lawyer argued that her actions were in self-defense, and she went on record stating she “did not kill those people in cold blood,” during her original arraignment – court documents suggest Gregson’s story was inconsistent and changed many times.
In a February motion, Clackamas County Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Owen wrote, “Additional investigation revealed that the defendant had been acting paranoid in the months leading up to the murders, had been consistently using methamphetamine, and frequently carried a firearm.”
Court documents show Gregson’s mother Deedee Guyette owned the apartment, and later told investigators her daughter did not have a permanent residence and had been staying there when Burns and Gains came over to visit.
According to her mother’s account, Gregson walked in and shot both victims “without warning.”
An investigation determined Gregson’s paranoid behaviors and mental state were worsened by her methamphetamine use.
After a four-day trial, Gregson was found guilty on all charges, including two counts of first-degree murder in the first-degree and two counts of second-degree murder.