Murder trial postponed

UNION COUNTY – The murder trial for Ronald “Ron” Lee has been postponed.  The trial had been scheduled to start next month.  Lee was arrested on February 21, 2019, on a Union County Warrant following a Grand Jury Indictment for the Murder of Loretta A. Williams of Cove. 

Williams was murdered in the early morning hours of November 17, 2018.

A new trial date is not known at this time.

A motion trail will take place on January 19, 2022

Below is the original release issued by the Union County Sheriff’s Office after the arrest of Ronald Lee.  (Release by the Union County Sheriff’s Office)

“On 2/21/19 at 0919 hrs, the North East Oregon Regional SWAT Team arrested Ronald D. Lee (DOB 09/25/47) on a Union County arrest warrant following a Grand Jury Indictment for Murder. The charge stems from the death of Loretta A. Williams (DOB 01/27/56), which occurred in the early morning hours of November 17, 2018 at her residence in Cove.

The indictment was issued by a Union County Grand Jury after a lengthy investigation by the Union County Major Crimes Team. The Major Crimes Team consists of members from the Union County Sheriffs Office, the La Grande Police Department, the Oregon State Police, and the Union County District Attorney’s Office. Detective Jason McKaig of the Union County Sheriffs Office and Detective Mike Harris of the La Grande Police Department are the lead Detectives in the case.

We appreciate the support and cooperation of Loretta’s family and the community at large during this complex and taxing investigation. The case remains under investigation”

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