Jessie Payne-Rana, who as a juvenile murdered a girl in Astoria in 1999, has been denied early release from prison.
After holding a remote hearing last week to hear testimony and examine Payne-Rana’s rehabilitation, the Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision announced their decision on Monday.
The parole board determined that Payne-Rana, who legally changed his name from Patrick Harned several years ago, has not demonstrated the maturity and rehabilitation to meet the burden of proof for early release.
He will be eligible to petition for early release again in four years.
When he was 16 years old, Payne-Rana kidnapped, sexually abused and strangled 7-year-old Ashley Ann Carlson, a neighbor who he babysat. He was convicted of aggravated murder in 2000 and sentenced to life without parole.
Payne-Rana petitioned for early release after former Gov. Kate Brown pushed for clemency near the end of her term. Brown sought to give opportunities to some people who were sentenced for serious crimes as juveniles, but did not have their age and the circumstances of their crimes considered by judges during sentencing.
In their reasoning for denying early release, the parole board cited concerns about Payne-Rana’s behavioral issues and history of making violent threats. While he has not been disciplined in nearly two years, Payne-Rana has amassed over 50 disciplinary misconducts while in custody over the last two decades.
“The board acknowledges Mr. Payne-Rana for his recent disciplinary free behavior for the last 23 months. This is a positive development,” the decision stated. “While this is a good start, it doesn’t outweigh the 20.5 years of disciplinary behavior that preceded it.”
The parole board said Payne-Rana’s past behavioral issues do not demonstrate that he would comply with release conditions and follow laws outside of prison.
The parole board also pointed to Payne-Rana’s history of drug and alcohol abuse, both before and during his incarceration. During last week’s hearing, Payne-Rana said he has not used drugs or alcohol in a number of years. But the parole board concluded that he appears to lack insight into his prior substance abuse and has not done the work to gain insight into it.
The hearing featured discussions about the extensive sexual and physical abuse that Payne-Rana endured as a child and the psychological impacts it has caused.
He has acknowledged engaging in sexual activity with other young family members and having urges to sexually offend against children prior to his incarceration. He has also admitted to urges of sexually abusing Carlson’s body after the murder.
The parole board also cited a psychological evaluation completed earlier this year that diagnosed Payne-Rana with borderline personality disorder and considered him a moderate to high risk for future violence.
At the hearing, Payne-Rana apologized to Carlson’s family and took accountability for his actions. He spoke of rehabilitating himself through programs and developing tools to overcome anger management issues.
Many people provided testimony at the hearing, including the families of Carlson and Payne-Rana. Clatsop County District Attorney Ron Brown and former District Attorney Josh Marquis also spoke, with both recommending that Payne-Rana be denied early release.
While noting that he wished Payne-Rana’s eligibility for early release was pushed farther out than four years, Brown said Monday that he was pleased with the parole board’s decision.
“We’re ecstatic about it, it’s a good result,” he said. ” … We’re happy that he’s staying in.”