A 23-year-old Beaverton man will spend decades behind bars after pleading guilty to killing his wife in 2023.
Washington County Circuit Judge Theodore Sims last week ordered Talon Gabriel Mitchell, who was 19 years old at the time of the killing, to serve 20 years in a state correctional facility for the 2023 slaying of Oulaykham Mona Chopheng, according to court documents.
Sims handed down the sentence Tuesday after Mitchell pleaded guilty to one count each of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon. While he must serve the first 10 years of his sentence in full, he will be eligible to have the latter half of his sentence reduced for good behavior.
Mitchell Had Consumed LSD the Morning of the Shooting but Did Not Remember Firing the Gun
The fatal shooting took place on Feb. 23, 2023 when officers with the Beaverton Police Department responded to q request for a welfare check at an apartment complex in Beaverton – about 10 miles southwest of Portland.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found Chopheng deceased on the couch from a gunshot wound to the face. Mitchell, who was also at the scene, had visible blood on his shoes and was taken into custody.
Investigators later learned Mitchell had taken LSD the morning of the shooting and subsequently told authorities he did not remember firing the gun.
Investigators spoke to witnesses and pieced together the moments leading up to the fatal shooting. Neighbors reported hearing a woman sobbing and a man speaking in short, abrupt sentences coming from the apartment shortly before the shooting, according to court records.
Mitchell Told Investigators He Believed He was Trapped in a Dreamlike State
According to court documents, Mitchell told investigators he believed he was trapped in a dreamlike state when the shooting occurred.
"HELP, IM STUCK IN A DREAM," he reportedly wrote in one of the text messages sent to emergency authorities. "I'm being controlled," he wrote in another. Other messages included: "Help me" and "Insanity."
During his interview with police, Mitchell confessed to ingesting LSD that morning and then blacking out. He claimed that he was sitting by the front door of the apartment when he woke up later that evening and saw his wife's bloody body on the couch. He said he thought it was a bad dream or a zombie apocalypse and decided to text 911.
