Portland police employee arrested in connection to unsolved 2021 murder

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – An employee of the Portland Police Bureau and their spouse have been charged in connection to an unsolved 2021 Goose Hollow murder, according to the PPB.

The PPB employee, Karen S. Chirre, 53, is an Administrative Supervisor assigned to East Precinct and has been working for the PPB for 28 years, the bureau says. Chirre has been on administrative leave since April 2021 – the start of the investigation.

Police say both Karen Chirre and her husband, Bruce Chirre, 38, are believed to be connected to the death of 58-year-old Jack Dekker, of Portland, on April 6, 2021. According to investigators, Dekker was found dead in on a sidewalk near Southwest Morrison Street and Southwest 20th Avenue.

Dekker’s cause of death was later determined to be a homicide.

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Bruce Chirre was indicted Friday for Manslaughter in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree and Tampering with Physical Evidence.

Karen Chirre was subsequently indicted on charges of Hindering Prosecution (3 counts), Official Misconduct in the First Degree and Tampering with Physical Evidence.

“Police personnel are held to a higher standard,” said Chief Chuck Lovell. “Any time it is alleged that a member of the Police Bureau has acted improperly, we owe it to our community to conduct a complete and thorough investigation. I want to thank the hard work of officers, detectives, criminalists, and other Bureau members for their work investigating this case.”

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Jennifer Hertzler Jennifer.Hertzler@police.portlandoregon.gov 503-823-1040 or Detective Rico Beniga Rico.Beniga@police.portlandoregon.gov 503-823-0457. Please reference case number 21-90461.

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