(SALEM) - Media reports in July 2006 regarding San Quentin death row inmate William Richard Bradford resulted in a research of the Oregon State Police Homicide Tracking System (HITS) database to determine if there were any crimes that may be linked to him in Oregon between 1977 and 1984.
The research initially identified 5 possible Oregon cases, but more detailed review eliminated four of the five cases from consideration.
The remaining case, a 1980 death investigation conducted by Oregon State Police, led to a review of all reports, available evidence, and some forensic latent print work during the last couple months. As a result of this review, Oregon State Police Criminal Investigations Division could not find any evidence or information that positively linked convicted murderer Bradford to this specific case.
The Oregon State Police HITS database was established in 1991. It is a cooperative project between law enforcement in Oregon and Washington. This violent crimes investigation system serves as a support to the field investigators involved in major crimes. The HITS unit enters data from homicides throughout Oregon, stranger to victim sex assaults and violent crimes into the databases.
This information is used to compare information to other crimes with similar methods of operations, to link crimes, or to identify unknown assailants.
The Oregon State Police HITS unit does not release any information regarding cases other than to the originating agency, coordinating communication between police agencies if the originating agency believes there is sufficient similarities to further investigate a suspect related to their case.
Oregon Revised Statute 181.580 requires any criminal justice agency within the State of Oregon to provide information relating to any suspected criminal homicide (solved or unsolved) to the HITS unit.
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San Quentin Death Row Inmate William Bradford Not Linked to Any Unsolved Oregon HomicidesSalem-News.com