Oregon Murder Convict Sentenced to Prison for 25 Years

Davonte Arnez Donahue has been sentenced to 25 Years for killing his ex-girlfriend in 2021

Davonte Donahue (MCSO)

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - 30-year old Davonte Arnez Donahue, pled guilty to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree Constituting Domestic Violence and one count of Unauthorized Use of a Weapon with a Firearm Constituting Domestic Violence in a case prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Devin Franklin, yesterday.

Donahue also pled no contest to two counts of Attempted Murder in the First Degree. Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Marshall sentenced him yesterday to 25 years in prison.

On the afternoon of Saturday, November 21, 2021, a woman called 911 and reported she was being held hostage by her ex-boyfriend in an apartment off of SE 171st Avenue in Portland.

While on the line with the Bureau of Emergency Communications Center, a man, misidentifying himself as “Jason” took over the call and claimed the female caller was on drugs and falsely asserted there was no gun in the residence.

The same female yelled out the name “Davonte Donahue” before the 911 call abruptly ended.

Two Portland Police officers arrived at the apartment complex shortly after the call. They knocked on the door of the unit the initial call was made from with no answer.

They began to evacuate neighbors immediately next to and across from said unit and were joined by three additional officers.

Officers knocked on the door of the unit again with no answer. A woman across from the unit came out of her apartment with a young child. As she was being evacuated, a shot was fired towards the front door where officers stood followed by five more as officers withdrew from the line of fire.

No officers were shot, however, bullet holes were observed in the front door.

Once officers withdrew, more than 30 additional gunshots were heard coming from inside the apartment.

The Portland Police Bureau’s Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) and Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) arrived and took over the scene. Additional gunshots were heard coming from inside the apartment for the next several hours as CNT tried to negotiate, and SERT attempted to enter the unit.

SERT entered the apartment early the following morning and arrested Donahue.

The Portland Fire Bureau located the 29-year old female victim, identified as Mariela Gonzalez Rocha, to provide medical aid and determined she was deceased from a gunshot wound.

About a week later, November 30, 2021, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that a grand jury indicted 29-year old Davonte Arnez Donahue for the murder of his ex-girlfriend.

Donahue was charged with murder in the second degree with a firearm - constituting domestic violence, five counts of murder in the first degree with a firearm, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm with a firearm.

Donahue had reportedly escaped from federal custody two months prior to the murder, where he was serving a sentence for sex trafficking of a minor.

Donahue is currently in custody in Multnomah County and will be transported to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve his sentence.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office thanks the Portland Police Bureau, SERT, CRT, and the Portland Fire Bureau for their work on this case.

Source: News Release from Multnomah Co. District Attorney's Office