Man who escaped Oregon hospital while shackled and had to be rescued from muddy pond sentenced
In this photo provided by Portland Fire and Rescue, Christopher Pray, a man charged with attempted murder who escaped from a psychiatric hospital while fully shackled, is rescued from a muddy pond in Portland, Ore., Sept. 1, 2023. Pray was sentenced to 22 years in prison, Monday, June 3, 2024. Credit: AP
PORTLAND, Ore. — A man who escaped from Oregon’s state psychiatric hospital while fully shackled and was later found floundering in a muddy pond was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office announced it had reached a plea deal with Christopher Pray, who pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of attempted murder, first-degree manslaughter, robbery and assault in separate incidents. He was sentenced to a total of 22 years for incidents that took place between 2022 and 2024.
Pray’s defense attorney on Tuesday did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Last August, Pray escaped the Oregon State Hospital in Salem. Restrained with leg shackles, a belly chain and handcuffs, Pray moved into the driver’s seat of a van he was being transported in when the driver was outside the vehicle and drove away, police said.
The following day, authorities rescued him from a muddy pond in Portland and took him back into custody.
An ensuing federal investigation found that the hospital failed to adequately supervise and transport him.
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