An Oregon jury has convicted a man of fatally stabbing his friend 55 times before placing the body in the trunk of the victim’s car and setting it on fire.
Robert Thomas Colon, 44, was found guilty of murdering 27-year-old Andrew Hathaway on Sept. 5, 2018, in Portland, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. Before the trial, Colon admitted to charges of arson, corpse abuse, and evidence tampering. His sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, where he faces a life sentence with parole eligibility after 25 years.
Prosecutors stated that Colon and Hathaway were at a residence with two other men, where they were using drugs. A fistfight broke out between Colon and Hathaway, with Colon gaining the upper hand as Hathaway called for help. The other men intervened, temporarily calming the situation. However, the altercation resumed, and Colon repeatedly beat and stabbed Hathaway until he died.
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Colon and one of the other men placed Hathaway’s body in the trunk of his car, drove to an empty lot, and set the vehicle on fire. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and found Hathaway’s remains, which were 80% burned, making identification difficult.
An autopsy revealed Hathaway suffered 55 stab wounds and six slicing injuries. Authorities did not disclose a motive for the crime.
“This verdict brings some justice to the Hathaway family, who have endured this for seven years. Despite early misdirection in the investigation, we remained committed to finding the killer,” said Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Shawn Overstreet.
Reference: Man charred 80% of friend’s body after stabbing him 55 times ‘until he was dead’
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