Community still looking for answers in violent 2011 murder of David Grubbs on Ashland, Oregon bike path

23-year-old David Grubbs was brutally murdered on his means residence from work on the native Store’n Kart in Ashland, Oregon on November 19, 2011.Tighe O’Meara, one of many responding officers, is now the chief of police for the Ashland Police Division.“Just about all of my 2012 was investigating David’s homicide,” Chief O’Meara instructed Dateline.He mentioned that he’s held David’s case near his coronary heart ever since that wet Saturday in November of 2011.“It was about 5:35 p.m., and the rationale I do not forget that so nicely is, it was simply getting darkish,” Chief O’Meara mentioned. “One of many different models was dispatched to a ‘particular person down’ name. It was extra of an assisted medical name.”However the chief instructed Dateline that he thought one thing extra may need been occurring. “I heard it on the radio and I mentioned, ‘That does not sound correct to me. Let’s go over there, as a result of that feels like one thing’s occurring,’” he recalled.When O’Meara and his accomplice on the time arrived on the bike path behind Hunter Park, it was already too late. ”It was utterly darkish, like pitch black,” Chief O’Meara mentioned. “I encountered the paramedics who have been popping out and so they mentioned, ‘That man’s positively useless. It appears like a gunshot wound.’”O’Meara, who has responded to fairly a couple of crime scenes over time, instructed Dateline he knew instantly that this was not a gunshot wound. “We have been scanning our flashlights round,” he mentioned. “Our beams of sunshine form of got here throughout David’s physique on the similar time and I noticed instantly that there was no means it was a gunshot wound.”In keeping with O’Meara, it was clear that David had been brutally attacked.Detectives have been referred to as to the scene of the crime virtually instantly. Because it was raining, O’Meara mentioned he helped protect the crime scene. “One of many issues I did as a result of it was raining, was: I drove to Walmart and I purchased three pop-up canopies, to assist maintain the crime scene,” he mentioned. “And I took David’s cellphone to the high-tech crimes activity power that evening in order that the cellphone might be dumped.”Authorities later decided that David was killed with an edged weapon. The weapon has by no means been recovered.”Till this case got here up, I used to be oblivious to how many individuals carry machetes and the way many individuals carry swords,” Chief O’Meara mentioned. “We have been getting suggestions left and proper and up and down and from each angle. It seems an terrible lot of individuals carry swords round for one motive or one other.”The chief mentioned they adopted up on the guidelines. “So we contacted numerous those who have been carrying heavy-edged weapons,” he mentioned. “We confiscated lots of giant bladed weapons and sadly none of it actually led anyplace.”The police chief remembers the neighborhood was extraordinarily anxious after David’s homicide. “The bike path is a focus of life in Ashland. It struck residence with lots of people that the bike path is not protected,” Chief O’Meara mentioned. “Individuals have been very scared.”Dateline spoke with David’s finest pal, Garrison Mau and his mom, P.J. Mau, who each keep in mind the sensation locally following David’s killing.“There was lots of upset locally, particularly within the first week as a result of Ashland Police Division shouldn’t be geared up to deal with one thing like this,” Garrison mentioned. “There was no motive and there was no proper or any motive, so individuals have been afraid. I used to be afraid.”He added that he feels David’s case wasn’t given sufficient consideration in public by police. “I really feel, personally, that lots of David’s case was form of swept underneath the rug to maintain up appearances,” he mentioned. “When the fact is unhealthy issues occur in every single place.”Because the investigation went on, officers realized extra about David. In keeping with Chief O’Meara, they might not think about who may have wished to harm the down-to-earth, mild-mannered 23-year-old.“To today, I’ve by no means met anybody like David who simply had a pure capability to get together with everyone,” Garrison Mau instructed Dateline. “David didn’t have an enemy on this world.”Garrison’s mom, P.J., instructed Dateline that she remembers assembly David for the primary time. “When Garrison introduced him residence from highschool the primary time, you understand how sophomore/freshman teenage boys kind of shuffle into the home and so they have a look at their footwear and so they run upstairs actually fast?,” she mentioned. David wasn’t like that. “I answered the door. David put his hand out and mentioned, ‘Hello, I am David Grubbs. Good to fulfill you.’”She mentioned David shortly grew to become like a second son to her. “David was the gentlest, funniest man — younger man — I’ve ever met in my life,” P.J. mentioned. “He had nice musical expertise and he was simply so light.”Actually, mentioned Garrison, “Music was how we related.” He instructed Dateline that David has been an enormous inspiration all through his musical profession. “David was the rationale I grew to become a musician and he was very — possibly I will not even say naturally gifted, as a result of he had been doing it for therefore lengthy — however he was, he was gifted,” he mentioned.Garrison was not simply one in all David’s closest mates, he was additionally his co-worker on the Store’n Kart grocery retailer. “We had lots of enjoyable at work. David really received me my job there. He was so simply naturally humorous and had the present of gab,” Garrison instructed Dateline. “He had the very best humorousness. David was our token humorous man.”Authorities investigating David’s homicide started interviewing his household, mates, acquaintances, and associates, however nothing vital got here from these conversations.“The randomness of it is without doubt one of the most jarring elements about it,” Chief O’Meara instructed Dateline.In keeping with the chief, there was “no motive thread that we discovered to drag on.” There was “no scorned accomplice, no beef at work” and “David was very well-liked.”Chief O’Meara mentioned that previously 11 years, the Ashland Police Division has recognized a person named Christian Delaurentiis as an individual of curiosity in David’s case. “We all know that he was residing right here on the time and we all know that he was a extreme heroin addict,” Chief O’Meara mentioned. It’s unknown if David had ever met Delaurentiis.Chief O’Meara instructed Dateline that they’re unable to maneuver ahead with Delaurentiis as a suspect in David’s homicide. “We’re simply form of caught, as a result of he will not discuss to us and folks do not have to speak to the police,” O’Meara defined. He added that they don’t have any direct proof that Delaurentiis was concerned. “It isn’t direct proof, it’s circumstantial proof,” Chief O’Meara mentioned.Delaurentiis is at the moment serving a life sentence with the potential of parole for aggravated homicide and first-degree abuse of a corpse in an unrelated case. Dateline reached out to Delaurentiis’s authorized counsel for remark however they haven’t but responded.Having been one of many first to reply to the scene that evening, Chief O’Meara instructed Dateline he feels a private connection to the case. “This case has caught round as I’ve made my means as much as the Chief place,” he mentioned. “I do really feel like that is one thing that’s private to me, and I do know it is private to lots of people.” However regardless of how a lot time has handed, Chief O’Meara instructed Dateline that David’s case will at all times stay a precedence for the Ashland Police Division. “It’s omnipresent. It does not fade into the background and change into a reminiscence, it is at all times there,” he mentioned. “I take the canine for a stroll by way of a cemetery generally, and David’s tombstone is there…”Chief O’Meara emphasised that he’s decided to make sure David’s case doesn’t get forgotten, particularly amongst his colleagues on the Ashland Police Division. “I actually need to get to a degree of decision for this,” he mentioned. “I’ve made it fairly clear to my companions, my teammates right here on the police division, that if I ever get left with the impression that we’re not doing every thing humanly doable to maneuver this ahead, then there can be severe repercussions for whoever is failing to maneuver it ahead.”Garrison Mau can also be decided to maintain his pal’s case and reminiscence alive. He and his mom, P.J. plan to put in everlasting memorial on the website of David’s homicide. “There is a bench down there,” he famous. “However we would prefer to put one thing in that is a bit more everlasting and a little bit extra like, ‘Hey, that is what occurred right here. Remember about it.”They’ve additionally arrange a scholarship in David’s identify that raises cash for different younger musicians within the Ashland space.“I would really like him to be remembered as precisely who he was. I’ve by no means identified a greater man in my life,” Garrison mentioned. “I might ask the neighborhood to open their minds and open their hearts once more and understand that that is nonetheless very actual for lots of people, and get out of their very own little bubble. Take note of what’s round us. As a result of once we do not, that is what occurs.”The chief instructed Dateline he feels assured that the Ashland Police Division is doing every thing they will to resolve this case. They only want a break. “Someone on the market is aware of one thing. And I’ve to think about that over 11, virtually 11 years now, carrying across the burden of figuring out who’s answerable for such a grotesque assault on David – and by means of David, his household and your complete neighborhood – that is received to be lots of strain and lots of stress to hold round,” Chief O’Meara mentioned. “I’m hopeful that sooner or later, any individual will get bored with it and that they choose up the telephone or sort out an electronic mail or no matter — ship a telegram — and say, ‘Hey, I need to unburden myself of this data and provides it to you. I am bored with carrying it round.’”Anybody with data is inspired to contact the Ashland Police Division at 541-482-5211 or the APD Nameless Tip Line at 541-552-2333