Bio 

Ernest Noland Lotches was born on August 2, 1954. He was identified in Oregon death-row summaries as Native American and was described as the only Native American prisoner on Oregon’s death row at the time. Before the murder, Lotches was in downtown Portland on August 22, 1992. The Oregon Supreme Court record states that he approached a man in O’Bryant Square, pretended to be a police officer, frisked him, and then struck him without clear provocation. That incident led nearby Portland Guides and security personnel to follow him and attempt to question him.

The confrontation escalated when William Hall, an armed security officer, approached Lotches and called out to speak with him. Lotches ran, pulled a gun, and began firing while trying to flee through the crowded downtown area. Several people were put in danger, and one unarmed guide, Valencia Edwards, was shot and seriously wounded.

After his conviction, Lotches spent many years under a death sentence in Oregon. His case went through automatic review before the Oregon Supreme Court, which affirmed one aggravated-murder conviction and the death sentence in 2000. In December 2022, his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment without parole along with all other remaining Oregon death-row sentences.

Murder Story

The murder happened on August 22, 1992, in downtown Portland, Oregon. At about 2:30 p.m., Ernest Noland Lotches approached a man named Hedges in O’Bryant Square. Lotches pretended to be a police officer, frisked him, and struck him on the helmet. Hedges later contacted a Portland Guide and said he wanted to file a complaint.

The Portland Guides were unarmed downtown safety workers. After the complaint, several guides began following Lotches from a distance while calling for help. Lotches appeared to notice them and increased his pace. William Hall, an armed security officer, then approached and called out that he wanted to speak with him.

Lotches tried to strike one of the guides, then ran. Hall and several guides chased him. Witness accounts differed on the exact first shot, but evidence showed that Lotches pulled a gun and began firing. He shot Valencia Edwards, an unarmed Portland Guide, in the left breast and right arm. Her arm was fractured and required surgery.

Lotches continued fleeing with Hall in pursuit. During the chase, he approached a car stopped at a traffic light. Inside were Kim Keaton and her 9-year-old grandson. Lotches pointed a gun at Keaton and tried to force her to drive him away. She refused and accelerated away.

As the child ran toward safety, Hall pulled him out of the line of fire. Hall was shot during the exchange and died from his injuries. The incident happened in a busy downtown area and caused panic among shoppers and bystanders.

Lotches was arrested the same day. He was charged with multiple crimes, including aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery, and felon in possession of a firearm. The state’s theory was that he killed Hall while attempting to avoid capture and conceal his identity after the attempted murders and attempted robbery.

On July 23, 1993, Lotches was sentenced to death in Multnomah County. The Oregon Supreme Court later reviewed the case automatically because it involved a death sentence. In 2000, the court reversed two aggravated-murder convictions because of jury-instruction issues, but it affirmed the third aggravated-murder conviction and the death sentence.

Lotches remained under a death sentence for many years. Oregon did not execute him. In December 2022, Governor Kate Brown commuted the death sentences of all 17 people then on Oregon’s death row to life imprisonment without parole. Lotches was listed among the prisoners whose sentences were commuted.