A helpless older woman whose house was overtaken by Krakers was found murdered and pushed into a suitcase near a bank of Oregon.
The horrible discovery of the body of Judy Hurley was made near the banks of the Willamette River at Sauvie Island of Portland in the afternoon of 17 February.
Suspect Michael Moody, 54, was arrested in connection with her death, confronted with murder and abuse a corpse.
Hurley, 80, only lived in a beautiful blue house in the St. Johns district on Sauvie Island.
But the charming real estate was a 'base of operations to commit crimes' by people who stayed there without permission, Leslie Ortiz and Justin Misner told KPTV.
The couple met Hurley – who was also known as Judy Fivecats – in the spring of 2024 when they became interested in buying her house. But she quickly connected to the vulnerable woman who had no friends or family to take care of her.
“Judy was in a pretty bad place,” Misner reminded himself of the exhaust valve and claimed that the residents who were living in her house were involved in criminal activities, including stealing cars.
“There were cases of people who squat in the house she didn't know, because they squatted on the top floor and she was bedridden, so people lived in the house that they didn't even know they lived here,” he added.
The horrible discovery of the body of Judy Hurley (photo) was made on the Sauvie Island of Portland in the afternoon of February 17
The beautiful blue house was overtaken by squatters while the older woman remained helpless in bed
Ortiz and Misner did their best to help Hurley. They took her to doctor's agreements and looked for the right care for her, given the unsafe circumstances of her own house.
The couple even helped Hurley to pack her possessions and moved her to a pension home – but she was later sent back home because of her decreasing medical state.
After his return to her house full of strangers, Hurley lost contact with the couple, who said they last spoke with the friendly woman in the fall of 2024.
They revealed that they were shocked when they heard from their tragic fate of their dear friends.
“I was disgusting and it's terrible. Nobody deserves to go that way, regardless of your history, “Ortiz told KPTV.
'It is difficult to hear about the death in general, but to hear how she succeeded, is really heartbreaking. I personally think it could have been prevented, “said Misner.
“I believe she was just a very nice person that was just used.”
The police discovered Hurley's body when they responded to a phone call about suspicious circumstances near the river.
Suspect Michael Moody, 54, was arrested in connection with her death, confronted with murder and abuse a corpse
Justin Misner and Leslie Ortiz said they grew close to the older woman, who no longer had a family to take care of her or protect her
The suitcase was found near the banks of the Willamette River after employees had seen the suspicious item
“It is our understanding that someone who was connected to some work done on a house looked out of a deck, saw the suitcase on the beach and went down to investigate,” resident Phil Allen described KGW.
The Sheriff's Office of Multnomah County (MCSO) arrested Moody on Thursday in an apartment in St. Johns. He was presented on Friday and will appear back in court on March 3.
Moody stays in the prison of Multnomah County and is unable to bail. There is a constant investigation into the death of Hurley and the authorities still collect evidence, according to the MCSO.
