Suicide forces dismissal of sex abuse case

By Terry Murry on Tuesday, March 8th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

PENDLETON – The child sex abuse case against Richard James Sheldon of Pendleton has been dismissed. His trial was scheduled to begin today, but he was found deceased on Monday.

Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Sterrin Ward said he was found deceased in the Barnhart Road and Airport Road vicinity from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. UCSO was responding to a welfare check request and his family was notified the same day the body was found.

Sheldon was arrested on April 1, 2021, charged with numerous counts involving sex crimes against a child that occurred between 2017 and 2020. Charges against him included two counts of first-degree sex abuse, three counts of second-degree sodomy, four counts of second-degree sex abuse, six counts of third-degree sodomy, and four counts of third-degree sex abuse.

The Pendleton Police Department investigation of Sheldon began in February 2020, but was slowed down due to its complexity and the slow-down COVID-19 placed on criminal justice facilities.

UPDATED INFORMATION: Originally, Sheldon’s bail was set at over $2 million. That amount was arrived at by police totaling bail for the number of charges against him. When he was arraigned, a circuit court judge set his bail at $500,000. Umatilla County District Attorney Dan Primus said that in May of last year, Sheldon put up $50,000 and was out on a security release since then.