Two Oregon Women Accused of Killing Homeless Man In Campsite, Stealing His Van

Two women are facing murder charges after a 52-year-old man was found dead in a Tillamook State Forest campsite in Oregon, according to deputies.

Tillamook County Sheriff’s deputies were making routine campsite visits last Friday when they found Marcus Koops deceased, with his dog abandoned and tied to a nearby tree, according to NBC/Fox station News 4 in Reno. Authorities told the station that Koops, whose name was initially withheld, was homeless and had been living in the state forest for an extended period of time.

Deputies said evidence found on the scene indicated the man had been shot and his vehicle had been stolen. Spent cartridges and a gun were also discovered at the campsite.

Alyssa Sturgill, 40, and Lisa Peaslee, 41, were identified as persons of interest, deputies said. Based on previous contacts with law enforcement, deputies understood that both women were living in their car at the same location the victim was found, and their vehicle was located near the crime scene.

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On Sunday, sheriff’s deputies in Mineral County, Nevada stopped the women, who were driving the victim’s light blue 2002 Toyota Sienna minivan, and took them into custody. 

Sturgill and Peaslee are charged with second degree murder, first degree assault, first degree theft and unlawful use of a firearm. Authorities are currently in the process of extraditing them back to Oregon.

“We are extremely grateful for the professionalism and the cooperation of all of the agencies involved that led to the quick apprehension of these two criminals,” Tillamook County Detective Sgt. Michelle Brewer said in a statement. “Those agencies include Tillamook 911, Oregon Department of Forestry, Tillamook Police, Oregon State Police and Crime Lab, Tillamook County District Attorney’s Office, and Mineral and Washoe County Sheriff’s Offices in Nevada.”