PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A teen who turned himself in after a murder in the Bush’s Pasture Park area in Salem has admitted to the shooting death of a 16-year-old in March 2024, according to the Marion County DA’s Office.
Nathaniel McCrae Jr. admitted to second-degree murder in juvenile court. He also pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm in Marion County Circuit Court.
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On March 7, 2024, Salem police closed the entrance to the park on Lefelle Street to search the area for more than six hours after “gunfire erupted” in the area of two large groups of teenagers around 1:45 p.m.
When police arrived, they found three teens with gunshot wounds. Despite officers’ efforts, 16-year-old Jose Vasquez-Valenzuela died at the scene. The other two boys survived the shooting and were taken to the hospital.
A few days later, McCrae turned himself in at the Salem Police Station.
McCrae was sentenced to “the legal custody of the Oregon Youth Authority for the maximum period allowed by law, which is up to his 25th birthday.” He will also serve a minimum of 60 months for the adult conviction.
The DA’s office shared the following statement about what influenced the sentencing:
“Senate Bill 1008 was passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2019 and drastically changed how youth that commit violent felonies are charged under Oregon law. Now, the state must prove that at the time of the conduct, that youth have an “adult-like” understanding of the nature and quality of their conduct and that the juvenile justice system has no reformative value, among multiple other factors. See e.g., ORS 419C.349. This exceedingly high legal standard makes adult convictions for youth rare and incredibly difficult to obtain.
“Even if they are waived into adult court, waived defendants are eligible for release after 15 years and halfway through their sentences, regardless of the crime of conviction or number of victims.
“Conversely, if an adult conviction cannot be obtained, the maximum sentence any youth can serve under Oregon law for any juvenile conviction (“adjudication”) is until their 25th birthday, regardless of the nature of the offense and the number of incidents or victims they offend against.
“Rather than risk the case being resolved solely in juvenile court, here, the state agreed to a bifurcated resolution in which Defendant admitted to murder as a juvenile and received an adult felony firearm conviction. This structure prohibits Defendant from possessing firearms in the future.”
