A former veterinarian from Oregon City was found guilty Wednesday of stalking, harassing and finally murdering an Intel employee two years ago after his affair with the victim's wife ended abruptly.
As reported by KGW8, a Washington County jury found Steven Neil Milner guilty of charges — including second-degree murder, stalking and violation of a stalking protective order — for a total of seven counts.
Wife of Victim Broke Up with Milner After Husband Found Out About the Affair; Milner Then Started Stalking The Couple
According to prosecutors, prior to 2022, Milner, a licensed vet with an office in Oregon City, began an affair with one of his long-time employees - the wife of a man named Kenneth Fandrich. Eventually, Fandrich found out about the affair, and his wife broke off her relationship with Milner.
However, Milner became obsessed with both Fandrich and his wife, beginning a campaign of stalking and harassment that lasted for years.
In March 2022, prosecutors said, Fandrich successfully got a court to issue him a stalking protective order against Milner, after finding "numerous" GPS tracking devices that Milner had placed on the vehicles of Fandrich and his wife. Prosecutors said that security cameras also captured Milner sneaking onto their property.
Milner Tracked Fandrich, Used False Identities and Disguises Before Killing Him
The stalking order didn't deter Milner's behavior, however. According to prosecutors, he placed another GPS tracking device on Fandrich's vehicle and followed him to his home and work at Intel in Hillsboro more than a dozen times. Often waiting at an Intel parking structure to watch Fandrich's coming and goings from work.
Milner went so far as using a false identity to buy a new vehicle to continue his "covert surveillance" of Fandrich from the Intel parking lot, prosecutors said.
Then in January 2023, Milner executed his plan. According to prosecutors, he entered the parking structure wearing a disguise, waited for Fandrich to park his car and walk into work. He then spray-painted the security cameras around the car. Milner left parking structure and then later returned in his second vehicle, a minivan, which he parked next to Fandrich's car.
Milner Staged Crime Scene to Make it Look Like Fandrich Died of Natural Causes
When Fandrich left work and got to his car, Milner ambushed him from behind and put him in a chokehold, prosecutors said. He then staged Fandrich's body in his car with his belongings to make it look like he died of natural causes.
An autopsy conducted on Fandrich the next day confirmed that he had been murdered, with injuries to his neck and spine. During his trial, Milner claimed that he was acting in self-defense and was attacked by Fandrich. The jury rejected this claim, prosecutors said.
Milner is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 18.
