Mother charged with murder, attempted murder and assault
Amada Jo Stott-Smith to be arraigned Wednesday for forcing son and daughter off Sellwood Bridge
The Portland Tribune, Jun 2, 2009, Updated 1.5 hours ago
Amanda Jo Stott-Smith
A Multnomah County grand jury has indicted Amanda Jo Stott-Smith on murder, attempted murder and assault charges in the May 23 incident that shocked Portland.
Stott-Smith was arrested after two of her children were found in the Willamette River. Her 4-year-old son, Eldon Jay Rebhan Smith, drowned. Her 7-year-old daughter survived and spent nearly a week in Doernbecher Children’s Hospital recovering before returning to Eugene to live with her father.
On Tuesday, June 2, a grand jury hit Stott-Smith with five counts of aggravated murder in the death of her son. She was also charged with two counts of attempted aggravated murder in the case of her daughter.
The grand jury also indicted Stott-Smith for second-degree assault for using a dangerous weapon to injure her daughter. No details on the assault are included in the indictment.
Stott-Smith is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges Wednesday morning. Police and prosecutors plan to talk with reporters after that, during which more information will be released.
Police believe Stott-Smith either pushed or forced her children off the Sellwood Bridge around 1:19 a.m. on May 23. She had recently lost temporary custody of the children to her estranged husband, Jason F. Smith of Eugene, in a legal separation filed in March in Washington County. She was granted visitation of two weekends each month, and had the children during her allotted time.
During a May 26 court appearance, Stott-Smith did not enter a plea to preliminary charges against her.
Amada Jo Stott-Smith to be arraigned Wednesday for forcing son and daughter off Sellwood Bridge
The Portland Tribune, Jun 2, 2009, Updated 1.5 hours ago
Amanda Jo Stott-Smith
A Multnomah County grand jury has indicted Amanda Jo Stott-Smith on murder, attempted murder and assault charges in the May 23 incident that shocked Portland.
Stott-Smith was arrested after two of her children were found in the Willamette River. Her 4-year-old son, Eldon Jay Rebhan Smith, drowned. Her 7-year-old daughter survived and spent nearly a week in Doernbecher Children’s Hospital recovering before returning to Eugene to live with her father.
On Tuesday, June 2, a grand jury hit Stott-Smith with five counts of aggravated murder in the death of her son. She was also charged with two counts of attempted aggravated murder in the case of her daughter.
The grand jury also indicted Stott-Smith for second-degree assault for using a dangerous weapon to injure her daughter. No details on the assault are included in the indictment.
Stott-Smith is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges Wednesday morning. Police and prosecutors plan to talk with reporters after that, during which more information will be released.
Police believe Stott-Smith either pushed or forced her children off the Sellwood Bridge around 1:19 a.m. on May 23. She had recently lost temporary custody of the children to her estranged husband, Jason F. Smith of Eugene, in a legal separation filed in March in Washington County. She was granted visitation of two weekends each month, and had the children during her allotted time.
During a May 26 court appearance, Stott-Smith did not enter a plea to preliminary charges against her.
