An Oregon woman was found dead in a car along a rural road earlier this month and her partner now stands accused of manslaughter.
Mary McDowell, 64, was found dead on Dec. 13 by deputies responding to reports of an unresponsive woman along a rural Washington County road.
Jose Lucas Morfin Jr., 38, was arrested at the scene and charged with manslaughter, assault, and abuse of a corpse.
At his court appearance on Dec. 16, Morfin asked McDowell’s family members not to “believe the propaganda.”
“Lori, I was there with Mary and I tried to revive her!” he said to a woman he called his sister-in-law. “I love Mary with all my heart.”
McDowell was an end-of-life caregiver who “helped so many people throughout her lifetime.”
“Mary was a sweet, kind, caring soul with a delightful giggle who spent her entire life serving and caring for others.”
