Keizer man sentenced to life in prison for stabbing Andrew Ramon of Gervais to death
Whitney Woodworth
A Keizer man was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for stabbing a 32-year-old to death following a confrontation at a Salem bar and car crash in November 2016.
Darnell Harris, 27, was convicted of murdering Andrew Ramon, of Gervais, tampering with a witness and soliciting the murder of a witness.
On Nov. 28, Salem police found Ramon dead behind the wheel of a crashed Chevrolet Trailblazer, but investigators soon learned he did not die in the crash.
He had died after being stabbed multiple times.
In the early morning hours before the stabbing, Harris confronted Ramon at a South Salem bar.
When Ramon left the bar and drove away, Harris followed him. Ramon's SUV crashed into a tree near the corner of Liberty and Superior streets SE.
Gervais man killed in early morning crash on Liberty Street
Harris approached the crash scene and stabbed Ramon while he was still in the vehicle.
According to a report by KATU News, Harris told his passenger not tell police and keep quiet about the murder.
He also tried to convince another witness to give false testimony.
Three days later, Harris was arrested on charges of murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of tampering with a witness.
Harris solicited another inmate at the Marion County jail to murder his passenger, who had testified before a grand jury about Ramon's death.
After investigators discovered the murder plot, Harris was indicted on additional charges of tampering with a witness, solicitation to commit aggravated murder and conspiracy to commit aggravated murder.
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Friends and relatives of Ramon filled the courtroom during Harris's December arraignment.
"My dad didn't deserve this," said Danika Ramon, his 17-year-old daughter, told the Statesman Journal.
She described her father as "one of the best people you could ever meet," and said people initially put off by his tattoos would eventually be drawn to his warmth, friendliness and loyalty.
"How could you not like him?" she asked. "He was a great man."
Ramon, a basketball and wrestling coach, custodian and father of three, was buried at Sacred Heart Cemetary in Gervais.
In a written notice of the state's intent to seek a lengthier sentence, prosecutor Katie Suver said Harris had shown a lack of remorse and deliberate cruelty to his vulnerable victim.
The two criminal cases were combined, and Harris was scheduled to stand trial in early 2018.
Harris pleaded guilty to murder on Sept. 29.
In his plea petition, Harris admitted to murdering Ramon, soliciting a man to kill a witness and trying to convince another witness to not testify against him.
The prosecution asked for a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years for the murder charge and an additional nine year and seven-month sentence for soliciting the murder of a witness.
His defense attorney, Olcott Thompson, asked the court to allow most or all of Harris's sentences to run concurrently. In a sentencing memorandum, he detailed his client's struggle with mental health and substance abuse.
Harris joined the U.S. Marines after graduating from McKay High School. An injury during training forced him to leave the Marine Corps, and he became depressed. Harris found a job working with abused children in a group home and had a daughter.
Thompson said Harris sunk into a deeper depression and began self-medicating with alcohol, large doses of Xanax and marijuana.
A mental health evaluation later indicated Harris had schizophrenia, a psychotic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
He said his client was not fully thinking when he asked his cellmate to kill a witness, but "he now has been almost a year drug and alcohol free and recognizes the horror of what he did."
Thompson said Harris is capable of rehabilitation.
Marion County Judge Tracy Prall sentenced Harris to life in prison with a 25-year minimum for murdering Ramon. She also sentenced him to an additional nine years and three months in prison for soliciting the aggravated murder of a witness.
For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth
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