Wright sentenced to 550-months for extremely violent crimes [WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT]

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Harland Wright has been sentenced to the Oregon Department of Corrections for 550-months for a series of extremely violent crimes in August 2020.

WARNING - THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS AND RECOUNTS GRAPHIC ACTS OF EXTREME VIOLENCE. READ WITH CAUTION

The following is a press release from Klamath County District Attorney, Eve Costello.

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - On January 4, 2022, the Honorable Judge Alycia Kersey sentenced Harland Wright to the Oregon Department of Corrections for 550-months.    The sentence was based on Wright’s role in a series of kidnappings and assaults in which Wright and another co-defendant terrorized and tortured several different victims, in several different episodes, over a three-month period.

Judge Kersey heard evidence during a two-day bench trial, where the State presented details of how Wright and others lured the victim to a location where they robbed, assaulted and tortured him.   

[READER DISCRETION ADVISED, BELOW - READ WITH CAUTION]

The facts were: On the evening of August 15, 2020, the victim arrived at 931 Lincoln Street with his puppy and a female convinced him to remain at the location.  After about an hour elapsed Wright’s co-defendant arrived talking on a mobile telephone with Wright.  Through the telephone Wright directed the co-defendant to keep the victim at the location until Wright could arrive.  The victim indicated the co-defendant threatened him with a firearm, forcing him to sit in a chair and took his money and phone.  The co-defendant kept the victim for approximately two hours until Wright arrived.

Wright arrived with a large, machete-like knife approximately 18” in length and a large silver revolver.  Wright ordered the victim to put down his puppy threatening to cut off the victim’s head, if the victim did not do as instructed.  The victim refused and when Wright loomed over him poised as though he was going to strike him with the knife, the puppy leapt from the victim’s lap trying to protect the victim from Wright.  Wright raised the large knife and struck the puppy in the center of its head, splitting it open so that bone was visible.  The injured puppy retreated toward the victim, but Wright hacked at the puppy several more times, striking the puppy in its ribs and neck.  The puppy shrieked and cried, attempting to get away.   After Wright struck the puppy several times, the co-defendant stabbed the puppy.  The puppy dropped to the ground, defecating and urinating on the floor before dying.

Wright and his co-defendant then ordered the victim to strip naked and use his clothing to clean up the blood, urine and feces from the dead puppy.  While the victim cleaned up the remains of the puppy, Wright and his co-defendant beat the victim; insulting him and threatening to kill the victim and to harm the victim’s family.  Wright and his co-defendant also cut off the victim’s long hair with their knives indicating he was not worthy of having long hair.

After the victim cleaned up the remains of the puppy, Wright pulled out a red body bag, and the two assailants ordered the victim to get in it.  After sealing the victim in the bag, Wright and his co-defendant insulted and repeatedly kicked the victim.  At one point the victim was having difficulty breathing and started yelling for help.  Wright stabbed a knife through the materials, slicing the victim’s wrist.  The victim was able to widen the stab hole enough to breath more comfortably, and remained in the bag as ordered.  

At approximately 5:30 a.m. on August 16, 2020, Wright and his co-defendant removed the victim from the body bag and ordered him to dress.   The two then forced the victim into Wright’s car and drove him to 2860 Frontage Road.  At that location, Wright and his co-defendant ordered the victim to skin the puppy and butcher it or he not be able to leave.  The victim complied with their orders and was later released.

During a separate and later incident, occurring on September 1, 2020, Wright and the same co-defendant believed a separate victim had made insulting statements about Wright, and was cooperating with law enforcement in drug investigations.  The two decided to punish this victim and again conspired with others to lure the victim to the same house at 931 Lincoln Street.

When the victim arrived at the house on Lincoln the two began beating him.   Wright then independently began beating the victim with a large silver revolver.   The two assailants then forced this victim to strip naked and they continued to beat him.

After a break, Wright opened the cylinder in the large revolver, inserted a bullet, spun the cylinder, pointed it at the victim’s head and pulled the trigger.  The chamber was empty and the gun did not discharge.   Wright repeated this act at least three more times.   After several instances of the firearm not discharging Wright added a second bullet, spun the cylinder and pulled the trigger.  The gun was again on an empty chamber and did not discharge.  Wright exclaimed "You lucky son of a bitch!" and pulled the trigger one more time.  The gun again did not fire. 

After terrorizing the victim with the firearm, the two kidnappers forced the victim to get into a rigid black vehicle tote, or roof-box.  The two then closed the victim in the tote and loaded him into a vehicle, driving  the victim to the compound at 2860 Frontage Road.  Once at the Frontage Street compound the victim, still locked in the tote, overheard Wright and his co-defendant planning to kill him.  Wright and his co-defendant removed the victim from the tote and resumed threatening the victim.  The victim begged them to spare his life.

Wright stated that the victim had to be punished, and could choose from one of three punishments:  he could cut off his own finger, get shot in the penis and walk home, or "hang out,” a street consequence wherein the kidnappers would hang the victim from the rafters and beat him.   Fearing death, the victim agreed to cut off his own finger.  The victim was provided a large machete-like knife with which he then chopped off one of his fingers.   The victim then heated a pair of plyers with a torch and pressed it to the stump of the severed finger in an attempt to cauterize his own wound.  Once the victim was cleaned up a bit, and the bleeding had slowed, Wright and his co-defendant again order the victim into the tote and dropped the victim off at a third location.

Approximately six hours after being released by his captors, the victim checked himself in to the Sky Lakes Emergency Department where he was treated for a fractured foot, numerous lacerations to his face and head and the severed finger.

In a third incident, occurring in June of 2020, Wright was upset that the third victim had been seen wearing shoes and a sweater stolen from Wright.    The victim had not stolen the clothing, but had bought it from the person who had stolen it.   Wright sent people out who brought the victim to Wright and the same co-defendant.   When the victim arrived, Wright and his co-defendant confronted the victim about the perceived offense.   They then took the victim into another room and beat him.   For parts of the assault Wright used a large silver revolver.  While beating the victim with the firearm, it discharged nearly striking the victim in the head.   The victim was beaten so badly that he lost control of his bladder.   The victim also suffered scarring to his face and scalp.

Klamath County District Attorney’s office wants to specifically recognize the role of the Klamath Falls Police Department, the Basin Interagency Narcotics Taskforce and Detective Kiley Bergstrom, without whom the State would not have been able to secure convictions.  The District Attorney’s office also recognizes the bravery of each of the victims who were willing to come forward and hold Wright accountable for his heinous acts, despite great personal risk to themselves and their families.   As Klamath County District Attorney, I want to recognized the dedicated work of Deputy Cole Chase who was able to prove all  charges to Judge Kersey and who also spent the time needed to ensure all cases were resolved so justice was provided to all victims who suffered harm.