10/20/09 Deschutes River Woods

By Doug Johnson

As the double homicide investigation at a transient camp off Highway 97 near Baker Road continues, the Deschutes County District Attorney's office is now trying to locate Sam Hartman. He is a person of interest and potential witness in the stabbing deaths of 55 year old Gregory Spikerman and 59 year old David Wade. 37 year old Jason Centrone is being charged with their deaths, but investigators still want to talk with Hartman. Employees at the Country Store Subway say Hartman is a regular.

"I've noticed him a couple of times, he looks like he'd be a regular, I see him often," says Amy Lewis who works at Subway.

One man camping in the area, who wished to remain anonymous, tells KOHD News he was also there the night of the murders. He claims the argument started over sticks Centrone wanted to keep being thrown onto the camp fire by Spikerman and Wade.

"He was a pretty nice guy, till that night, til those sticks hit that fire, and then he changed, he was a different person," the anonymous transient says.

The man says Centrone got quiet and seemed angry.

"He just got quiet and I tried to get some kind of reaction out of him and then he was sitting over there right beside too tall and he just out of the blue says I'll kill them all," the man says.

After that the man says he left Centrone, Spikerman and Wade, and didn't find out about the murders until the next day. As for Hartman, the man camping nearby says he always carried a large knife with him and that he stayed in this tent feet from where the murders happened. The man who spoke with KOHD News says he has been in contact with the sheriff's office. The DA's office says Hartman is not considered to have been involved in the murders, but investigators still want to talk with him.

ORIGINAL STORY:

October 14, 2009

37 year old Jason Michael Centrone was arraigned Wednesday afternoon on two count of aggravated murder and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon at the Deschutes County Courthouse.

Centrone is being accused in the stabbing deaths of Greg Spikerman and David Wade. Their bodies were found off Highway 97 just north of the Baker exit in a transient camp.

Bend Police arrested Centrone in front of the Bend Walmart store Tuesday night. They then gathered information that led them to the bodies. Deschutes County Sheriff's Deputies and Search and Rescue volunteers worked through the night and all day Wednesday.

"Our preliminary investigation has led us to believe that this is a homicide, we are treating this case as a homicide.We are still working on motive and that will be something the District Attorney's office may be able to release at a later time," said Detective Lt. Kevin Dizney.

Brook Yancey lives behind the wooded area being used as a transient camp. She recently had a fence put up surrounding her property to prevent transients from walking through her yard.

"It's unsettling because I live just a hop skip and a jump away," said Yancey

Yancey says they have never had problems of this magnitude in the neighborhood.

"Any violence of that sort is always surprising to hear especially when we live in such a tight knit community. I know that there are some issues with the homeless people and territory and things like that so I cant say I'm totally surprised," said Yancey.

Wednesday afternoon, the Sheriff's Office obtained a search warrant for Centrone's blood to be used as evidence.