Portland ‘Jogger Rapist’ victims demand more action to protect sex abuse victims

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) — To mark the 42nd annual National Crime Victims’ rights week, two of Richard Gillmore’s victims demanded state and local leaders do more to protect victims of all crimes, including sex abuse.

More commonly known as the Jogger Rapist, Gillmore was convicted of raping Tiffany Edens but was paroled only 36 years into his sentence. He also admitted to raping nine other women but was never charged with those crimes. Both Edens and another victim, Danielle Tudor, spent the afternoon taping flyers around Old Town, alerting the community Gillmore now lives in the area.

“I’m mad and I’m angry that my offender has been given power, and I’ll do everything I can to take that power from him,” Tudor said.

Gillmore was paroled late last year and now lives in a halfway home run by Central City Concern. Edens and Tudor are using this week to bring awareness of supporting victims of sexual abuse.

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“You got to back up the victims so they can tell you what exactly happened in their life if they don’t they will be on drugs, they will have a serious mental illness, they will be homeless,” Edens said.

The two said since Gillmore’s release, there has been a lack of support from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and the county Department of Community Justice.

“Why is there no support for us or advocating for us during this time?” Edens said. “I don’t understand, it’s wrong and it needs to be changed.”

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Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt sent FOX 12 a statement:

“During this week, my office joins with many other prosecutors’ offices, law enforcement agencies, and community partners in commitment to listening to survivors and honoring them by working toward meaningful change. While the victims’ rights movement has made great strides over the past several decades, there is always more work to be done. This legislative session, I am supporting a package of bills aimed at centering the voices and needs of survivors in our criminal justice system. Just today, Victim Advocate Hope Hansmeyer testified before a legislative budget committee in support of expanded funding for victim advocate staffing in DA’s offices statewide. If we want to support crime victims as meaningfully as possible, we must support the advocates who are critical to ensuring that victims are treated with dignity and respect at every step. My office will continue its commitment to engaging with survivors and amplifying their voices as we push for change, as well as to creating an environment where survivors are confident they’ll be heard, believed, and supported.”

Edens and Tudor said they don’t feel that support. They want lawmakers to reform how the justice system assesses sex offenders’ risk levels. The also want the backlog of thousands of unclassified sex offenders to be addressed so the community members know who is living in the their neighborhoods.

“We will not be silent, we won’t turn and look the other way,” Tudor said. “This issue is too important. Our message today is we’re going to keep moving forward, we’re going to stay vocal. We are not going to back down.”

FOX 12 contacted the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice and they issued the following statement:

“There is no current plan to remove Mr. Gillmore’s electronic monitoring device. We value and support the needs of victims and survivors, and have a dedicated Victim Services Unit that provides services and resources to those harmed by individuals on supervision.”

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