Campus officer accused of Oregon murder set to change plea
BEND, Ore. (AP) — A change-of-plea hearing has been scheduled for Edwin Lara, who police say killed a woman in July 2016 while working as a campus safety officer at Central Oregon Community College.
Court records show the hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 22 and 23 in Deschutes County Circuit Court.
Juli Walden VanCleave, the mother of victim Kaylee Sawyer, posted on Facebook that Lara agreed to a plea deal that would send him to prison for life, avoiding a possible death sentence.
Lara's defense lawyer, Thaddeus Betz, declined comment when contacted by The Bulletin newspaper.
Authorities say Lara killed Sawyer in Bend on July 24, and later kidnapped a woman in Salem.