Fatal cinder block bludgeoning on Portland waterfront ends in guilty-but-insane verdict; killer sent to state hospital

A Portland man who bludgeoned a stranger to death with a cinder block was found guilty but insane Friday and sentenced to a lifetime of supervision by the state Psychiatric Security Review Board.

Abel Nistor was living on the streets and off his medication, his attorney said, when he encountered 70-year-old John Garcia among the pillars supporting the Marquam Bridge about 4:30 a.m. March 22, 2024.

Onlookers heard Nistor cry out, “He needs to die!” while straddling Garcia and punching him repeatedly in the face, according to a probable cause affidavit…

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