Portland Police Nab Suspect in 2014 Murder

A fifth suspect in a 2014 Southeast Portland murder of a 21-year-old pregnant woman was arrested early Sunday morning. The suspect attempted to elude officers in a vehicle before abandoning it and fleeing on foot.

Officers from multiple jurisdictions, including Portland police and Clackamas County sheriff's deputies, contained the suspect, 27-year-old Jeffery L. Sims Jr., until the Special Emergency Response Team took him into custody. Sims was charged with the murder of Ervaeua Herring and booked into the Multnomah County Jail. The arrest took place near Southeast 82nd Avenue and Powell Boulevard.

At 5 a.m. on Aug. 17, 2014, police responded to a shooting at the Eastwood Village Apartments in the 15000 block of S.E. Powell Boulevard. Officers found Herring's body and evidence of gunfire. She died from two gunshot wounds to the head, according to autopsy results.

"Homicide detectives have worked closely with Gang Enforcement Team detectives to follow up leads in this investigation and have interviewed dozens of people over the course of the past two years, resulting in this arrest as well as multiple previous indictments and arrests," according to a police statement.

Four others have been indicted in Herring's killing: Demetrius Ray Brown, 21, DeAnthony Simmons, 22, and Geontae Brachaurd Jones, 22, were indicted in 2016 and each charged with murder with a firearm, first-degree burglary with a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon. Simmons and Jones were also indicted on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm. Kelani Brown, 24, who is Demetrius Ray Brown's cousin, was arraigned on a murder allegation in June.

See also:

The Murder of Ervaeua Herring: Three People Indicted

Detectives believe that there are additional people in community with information about the homicide of Ms. Herring, who also had a two-year-old son. Anyone with information about this case, including second hand information or information learned from social media sites, is asked to contact Detective Anthony Merrill at 503-823-4033, anthony.merrill@portlandoregon.gov

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