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Man charged in Ashland, Ore., slaying seeks delay in extradition

Suspect captured in Vancouver grocery indicted in Oregon

The Columbian
Published: October 26, 2013, 5:00pm

A man accused of murdering a resident of Ashland, Ore., earlier this month and fleeing to Vancouver before he was captured is seeking to delay his extradition to Jackson County, Ore., officials said.

Othon Robert Campos Jr., 41, has been charged with killing 62-year-old Frank Damiano inside his trailer just outside Ashland on Oct. 10.

Investigators believe Campos and Merlin Elmo Bound III, 34, entered Damiano’s trailer on Oct. 10 with the intention of robbing him. For reasons unknown, the robbery turned into a homicide, sending Campos on the run to Vancouver, police say.

Bound was arrested days later and lodged in the Jackson County Jail without bail on charges of murder, robbery and burglary.

Detectives were able to develop leads pointing to Campos’ whereabouts in Vancouver. He was taken into custody the morning of Oct. 19. by the U.S. Marshals Service at the St. Johns IGA, 2109 St. Johns Blvd.

Campos had previously lived in Vancouver and Southeast Portland. and investigators developed information that he was back in the region. Since his arrest, Campos has been indicted by a Jackson County grand jury on charges of aggravated murder, robbery and burglary.

He has remained in Clark County Jail without bail. He will be extradited to Jackson County but is seeking a delay, a process that could take four to six weeks, Jackson County District Attorney Beth Heckert said.

“This won’t affect the case,” Heckert said. “It won’t have any impact on the ongoing investigation.”

Heckert, who will prosecute the murder, will continue building a case against the pair. Both Campos and Bound could face life in prison if found guilty of the crimes.

Before Campos can be extradited to the local jail, police and prosecutors here must prove that he is, in fact, the person suspected of the crime. This means local law enforcement will send Campos’ fingerprints, physical descriptions and other identifying factors to Clark County.

Campos will then appear before a judge, who will determine whether to release him to Jackson County authorities.

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