Oregon Man Accused Of Killing Teens In 1974 Indicted

PORTLAND, OR — Stephen Criss, who is suspected of killing two teenagers in 1974, made his first appearance in Washington County court Thursday, according to a KATU2 report.

Despite Criss being called a potential suspect around the time of the murders, another man, Joseph Amir Wilson, was ultimately arrested and charged before charges were dropped in January 1975, the outlet reported.

It wasn't until years after Criss joined the army and pleaded guilty to the murder of his commanding officer in 1976—using what authorities now believe is the same gun that was used to kill the teens in 1974—that he was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Bartron and Zito Jr, according to KATU2.

In 2022, detectives submitted ballistic evidence to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The bureau reported a match in evidence from the 1976 murder in Washington—for which Criss was sentenced to 35 years in Fort Leavenworth and paroled and released in 1988—and the 1974 murders in Oak Hills, the report said.

KATU2 reported that Criss is currently being held in the Washington County Jail on the two murder charges.

Read the full report on KATU2.