Vale man freed after serving reduced sentence for deadly shooting in Baker City
By Joe Hathaway on Thursday, July 11th, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY — A Vale man, Shawn Quentin Greenwood, has been released from prison after serving a reduced sentence for the deadly shooting of a Baker City woman in January 2020.
Greenwood, 53, pleaded no contest in 2021 to charges of criminally negligent homicide, first-degree burglary, and attempting to elude law enforcement in the death of Angela Parrish.
Greenwood’s release follows a decision in April by the Oregon Court of Appeals, which ruled that his constitutional rights were violated when former Baker City Police detective Shannon Regan monitored phone calls between Greenwood and his attorney. This ruling led to the dismissal of the burglary charge, significantly reducing his sentence from 90 months to 24 months.
During a court hearing on July 3, Baker County Circuit Judge Matt Shirtcliff confirmed that Greenwood had already served the revised 24-month sentence. Judge Shirtcliff stated he had no legal grounds to impose a longer sentence, as there was no new evidence to justify such a decision.
Greenwood was arrested in January 2020 and remained in custody at Snake River Correctional Facility near Ontario since September 2021. He was released from the Department of Corrections on July 5, 2024, and will now be under post-prison supervision with Malheur County Community Corrections.
Greenwood’s attorney, Jim Schaeffer, argued successfully that his client could not be resentenced beyond the 24 months already served without violating legal principles against vindictiveness. Schaeffer also noted that Greenwood’s early release was warranted given the appellate court’s findings.
Baker County District Attorney Greg Baxter expressed his disappointment with the outcome, “I told the judge that I wish he could give him 25-to-life, but I know we can’t do that,” said Baxter. “This is different from someone running a stop sign and accidentally killing somebody. This was a bullet hole to the chest.”
Despite his reservations, Baxter acknowledged the legal constraints imposed by the appellate court’s decision.
“Justice was robbed, but this situation is consistent with the appeals court decision,” said Baxter.
