Bio

Billy Lee Oatney Jr. was born on March 12, 1962, in Oregon, USA. He grew up in Washington County and experienced a childhood that included family struggles and difficulties. As a teenager, Oatney became known to law enforcement. He had multiple encounters with the law that included various minor offenses. He was ultimately sentenced to death on September 22, 1998.

Murder Story

On August 27, 1996, Susi Larsen went missing in Washington County, Oregon. Her family informed the police that she had planned to meet with Billy Lee Oatney Jr. to discuss making jewelry for her upcoming wedding. This relationship led investigators to interview Oatney. Initially, he claimed not to have seen her for weeks.

On September 2, 1996, police stopped Oatney's vehicle due to a malfunctioning license plate light. During the stop, officers noticed Oatney and his passenger, Willford N. Johnston III, acting suspiciously with a duffel bag. The officers later discovered various weapons and tools inside the bag when Oatney consented to a search. However, he was not detained at that time.

Days later, on September 9, 1996, Susi Larsen's decomposed body was found in Champoeg Park. The investigation continued, and police began to focus on both Oatney and Johnston. As part of this investigation, they recorded phone calls between Oatney and Johnston while Johnston was in jail. These phone calls indicated that Oatney might have been involved in Larsen’s disappearance.

After further inquiries and evidence collection, including the discovery of blood in Oatney’s apartment that matched Larsen's, both Oatney and Johnston were charged in connection with the crime. Johnston ultimately pleaded guilty to aggravated murder in exchange for a deal with the state in which he would not face the death penalty.

At trial, Johnston testified that he and Oatney abducted, raped, and murdered Larsen. He stated that after incapacitating her using a stun gun, they tied her up, assaulted her, and forced her to disclose her bank card information. They later suffocated her using a plastic bag.

Despite Oatney claiming that he had not participated directly and that Johnston acted alone, the jury did not believe his defense. On September 22, 1998, Oatney was convicted of multiple counts of aggravated murder and sentenced to death. He has remained on death row since his sentencing, with appeals continuing for several years after the trial.