Umatilla County DA faces a busy week

UMATILLA COUNTY – Thanksgiving week may be a short work week, but Umatilla County District Attorney Dan Primus and his deputy district attorneys face plenty of work, including hearings on two major cases that are due to come to trial in 2026.

“It’s a busy week for us in the courtroom,” Primus said. “It’s Thanksgiving week, but it stays busy for us.”

Today (Monday) a status check on the retrial of once-convicted murderer George West Craigen will be held. He says Craigen got new counsel and they are trying to “get up to speed” with that trial set for March 2026. He also has motion hearings coming up Tuesday and Wednesday in the manslaughter case against Emerald Williams.

Craigen won the right to have his case tried again on appeal. He was convicted in the shooting death of his Milton-Freewater neighbor, Cecil “Rob” Carter, in 2011. The Oregon Supreme Court allowed the retrial as Craigen contended that statements he made to law enforcement should not have been made without an attorney present.

Williams is accused of manslaughter in the 2024 death of the owner of the Red Tea Garden in Milton-Freewater during an alleged robbery attempt. She is charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree manslaughter.

Both suspects are housed at the Umatilla County Jail. Craigen’s bail is set at $5 million. Williams’ is set at $250,000.

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Elkhorn Media Group