Hi and welcome to Serial Sisters, a podcast where my sister and I tell each other true crime stories. I'm Kristen and I'm Devana and this week Devana has a story for me. This is a story that I've had sitting in my ideas folder for a while but it just always seemed too heavy for me to do but it's also one that I think about a lot and especially with recent events so I decided to just trust my gut but heads up for talk of white supremacy and white nationalism. Sweet.
So it's gonna be a little rough. Yeah. I got information from a New York Times article by Matthew Hagg and J.C. Fortin.
I've seen an article by Madison Parker and Stephanie Becker as well as Wikipedia. Okay. So it's 4.40 p.m. on Friday May 17th 2017.
Portland Oregon residents are getting off of work for the weekend and are writing the Max Light Rail Train Systems home from work. The Max is also affectionately known as the crime train among locals but for the most part that's a joke. Okay. Especially for people in the surrounding suburb of Portland the Max is a vital service to get around and into the city.
At the time although not at its rush hour peak the train car was crowded with all the seats filled in some passenger standing. Okay. Jeremy Joseph Christian was aboard the train and began using anti-muslim slurs and was screaming that he was a taxpayer that colored people were ruining the city and that he had first amendment rights. She continued to yell and carry on so much so that the train operator was heard on the loudspeaker saying whoever is creating disturbance needs to exit the train immediately.
Nice. So instead of stopping he directed his attention at a 17 year old Muslim Somali girl who was wearing a hijab and her non-Muslim friend a black girl who was 16. Fuck. He told the girls to go back to Saudi Arabia to get out of this country and said they were nothing and they should kill themselves.
So fucking sad dude. You don't like this guy. No it just gets worse too. Great.
He was also reported as saying that Muslims should die. He also shouted them to pay taxes. Get the fuck out and go home. We need Americans here.
It takes up their children. They don't children don't pay taxes. They're fucking kids and he again tells them to go back to Saudi Arabia and one of the girls is Somali. Jesus Christ.
He was also seen drinking from a large container full of purple liquid that he later identified as angry a wine. One of the passengers tried a calm Christian down but the rants continued. The passenger also told police he heard Christians say something about decapitating heads. Yeah.
So the girls understandably framed and wanted to escape moved to the back of the train as three men Ricky John Best Tileshan Namka Mashi and Micah David Cole Fletcher stepped into intervene in an attempt to deescalate the situation. Good for them. It's not gonna go well though. Yeah I kind of figured.
So according to a witness Namka Mashi told Christian a loud voice you need to get off this train. Please get off this train. The witness of the men attempted to form a barrier between Christian and the girls. Oh it just makes me cry every time I think about that.
So Micah David Cole Fletcher in an attempt to shove Christian away gave him a slight push or shove. Christian responded touch me again and I'm going to kill you. Video from the train camera and a passenger's phone showed Christian making a sudden move towards one of the victims Namka Mashi who responded by standing up. Christian was standing close to his face and shouted oh do something bitch.
Video then showed Christian swinging his arm and in one motion opening a knife and stabbing Fletcher in the neck. Oh fuck. He next stabbed Namka Mashi twice in the neck. Ricky John Best moved to intervene and was stabbed in the neck as well.
Fuck. Christian pushed Best into Namka Mashi who was trying to stop the bleeding from his wound. He then stabbed both men again. Jesus Christ.
And I remember when this happened it's just so fucking awful. At the Hollywood Northeast 42nd Avenue Transit Center passengers fled the car Christian among them. He was waving his knife when he got off the train and threatened several people on the platform with the weapon. He then ran into the Hollywood neighborhood being chased by other passengers who had called 911.
So these people were like you're not gonna get the fuck away. They kept chasing him. Good. And after Fletcher was stabbed another passenger rushed to him and administered first aid.
Three other passengers gave first aid to Best until EMS personnel arrived. Medics were unable to revive Best and he was declared dead at the scene. Fuck. Namka Mashi was later declared dead at a local hospital.
The two girls also fled the train following the incident leaving their belongings behind which was how they were later identified. Yeah. After the attack the station and the max light rail trains were shut down in both directions for several hours. Following their arrival at the station police were able to locate Christian.
A group of at least eight officers arrested him on the north side of Providence Medical Center on an access road running along Interstate 84 just east of 47th Avenue at 448 p.m. According to a police affidavit during the arrest Christian threw a folding knife with a 3.75 inch blade which hit a police car and bounced off. The affidavit also states that the patrol car video footage shows Christian saying after his arrest I just stabbed a bunch of motherfuckers in the neck. I can die of prison and having them.
Jesus Christ. He also said about one of his victims that's what liberalism gets you. I hope they died. I'm gonna say that on the stand.
I'm a patriot and I hope everyone I stabbed died. What a piece of shit. I hate this guy a lot. He's a fucking worst.
He was booked into the Multnomah County Jail and the FBI recalled him to assist the Portland police in the investigation. Grand Cannon of the Portland FBI Field Office said at the time it's too early to say whether last night's violence was an act of domestic terrorism or a federal hate crime. To that I say why can't it be both? Right.
That's what I was just thinking. Right. But a sad side note of the story on June 2nd 2017 the police arrested a 51 year old addict who lived in a small home with a camp near the platform where the train stopped after the attack. He was accused of removing the wedding ban and stealing the wallet and backpack of best.
Video surveillance showed the theft and obtained a community tip on the thief's identity. According to police he was wearing best ring when he was arrested and had the backpack and contents of best wallet. In the end he was sentenced to 13 months in jail and five years of jail canceling and probation after release. But back to the larger ship story Christian was charged with two counts of aggravated murder and one count of attempted murder as well as three misdemeanors.
Two counts of second-degree intimidation and one count of being a felon possessing restricted weapon. At his arraignment on May 30th 2017 he began yelling a variety of slogans as soon as he entered the courtroom screaming get out if you don't like free speech you call it terrorism I call it patriotism you hear me die. He also yelled leave this country if you hate our free if you hate our freedom death to Antifa. Which if you need some real fucking chills there's video footage of this.
Nothing. Oh my god just he is so chilling. He was indicted on June 6 by the Multnomah County Grand Jerry on 15 counts of these 11 related to the May 26th stabbings and four related to contact the day before the stabbing. When Christian threw a plastic bottle at a black woman at the interstate Rose Porter Mac station.
Great. Another outburst occurred at a brief 85 second appearance on June 7th. He shouted that he was not guilty in the act in self-defense against the violent aggression by microfletcher. What the fuck ever.
Right. And this piece of shit pleaded not guilty on all charges. Fuck him. Portland television stations sought the release of warrants and affidavits related to the investigation.
But in October of 2017 a federal judge denied the motion due to concerns that the release could prejudice potential jurors. Yeah. And in November a bail hearing was held and of course he was denied bail. Good.
On November 1st 2019 a new state law cost Christians aggravated murder charges to be downgraded to first degree murder eliminating the possibility of a death penalty. Fuck. The trial was initially scheduled to begin June 2019 but was delayed for six months to allow time for further free trial proceedings. The judge denied Christians requested a change of venue.
Which could. Yeah. Opening arguments for the trial began January of 2020 so just earlier this year. Okay.
In February of 2019 Christians attorneys filed a notice indicating that at trial the defense plans to raise mental health defenses. They indicated that I might argue three such defenses a guilty except for insanity defense asserting that he was so mentally disturbed as to being capable of forming criminal intent. To which I say bullshit. Yeah I don't buy that one.
Defense that his mental illness make him only partially responsible for the offenses. Again bullshit. And a defense that Christian was acting under extreme emotional disturbance. At trial the testimony of 40 witnesses was presented against Christian including like a Fletcher who was wounded in the stabbing.
A Portland homicide detective who interviewed Fletcher also testified and showed the jury the folding knife that was used in the attack. Cell phone videos and tri-med surveillance videos were also introduced into evidence. Extensive video and out of your recordings of Christians post arrest rankings were also played to the jury. Yeah.
And he did not testify in his own defense. Probably smart. Probably. Closing arguments in the trial were made on February 19th 2020.
On February 21st the jury delivered its verdict after 11 hours of deliberation over two days. Mm-hmm. He was found guilty on all counts with a jury reaching unanimous decision on each count. Good.
He faced the possible sentence of 30 years to life without the possibility of parole. Good. As if his attack is not already terrible and unforgivable. Christian had previously been convicted of kidnapping and the robbery of a convenience store in May 2002 and sentenced to 90 months in prison.
Mm-hmm. During the robbery he wore a ski mask, wielded a 38 caliber revolver and handcuffed the store owner to a pole in the store. He was apprehended several blocks away from the store. He was also arrested in 2010 on charges of being a felon in possession of firearm and theft but those charges were later dropped.
Okay. Christian told officials that he was a transient and didn't know the last time he had a permanent address. But surprise surprise, he held extremist views in posting neo-nasi anti-Semitic and far-right material on social media as far as material indicating an affinity for political violence. Thanks.
He self-described himself as a white nationalist. The Oregonian noted that Christian had made many contradictory Facebook posts but that such contradictions are typical of extremists which I kind of found a little bit funny. His most revealed a comic book collector with a nebulous political affiliations who above all else seem to hate, circumcision and Hillary Clinton. Okay because that's duer related.
Yeah. At times he expressed support for Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump but also typical of these assholes he wrote that he did not vote. Friends and acquaintances felt that his actions were becoming increasingly unstable and he was needed mental health although no formal diagnosis have been made. He also praised him at the big bay in an online posting on April 19th the anniversary of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
You'd fuck that man. Oh yeah. He also posted conspiracy theory memes from Alex Jones's channel. He shared a meme which read if we're removing statues because of the Civil War we should be removing mosques because of 9-11.
Yeah. You dumb motherfucker. Totally the same. He also promoted the notion of a white-only area in the Northwest which I think is such a thing that the Northwest doesn't really talk about is how non-diverse it really is.
Oregon was originally created as a no-black state. Exactly. That's why it's so white in Portland is because originally Oregon was super fucking racist. Exactly.
So he was a known white-wing extremist and a white supremacist in Portland having participated in various alt-right rallies in Portland. One month before the stabbing he appeared at a right-wing march for freedom of speech in Portland's Monteville Park. He wore a revolutionary war-era flag of the United States and carried a baseball bat but that was confiscated by police. He gave Nazi salutes and used racial slurs at least once.
He was videotaped shouting, Daim Muslims. The day before the killing Christian had made racial threats on another train threatened a conductor and her levado and a black woman as mentioned earlier. But that woman then maced him asking on cell phone videos so good for you fucking lady. That is really good except I don't know that I would mace someone in the middle of a train car so that should spread.
It's gonna get to everyone. In a strange turn of events Richard B Spencer a white nationalist and well-known self-appointed leader of the fringe alright movement condemned the attack. That was interesting to me. That is weird.
Christian and Bledger had both attended a free speech rally in Monteville about a month prior to the attack. They were obviously on different sides of the protest and Destiny Magnum one of the two girls harassed by Christian expressed her gratitude to the three men who stepped into help her. Hundreds gathered near the Hollywood transition on the evening of May 27th for a candlelight vigil to honor the victims. Three crowdfunding campaigns were set up to help the victims families and raised one million dollars by May 29th.
Daim Muslims in Portland said they were thankful for the support from the community after the attack. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called the victims of the attack heroes in a statement released on May 27th. He also said their actions were brave and selfless and should serve as an example and inspiration to us all. Governor Kate Brown also called on Oregonians to come together.
Let's not let hate and fear divide us. Instead let's take the example of the good Samaritans who sacrificed their lives for the safety of others and unite for a kinder gentler organ. Senator Jeff Merkley urged President Trump to speak up personally against the right and tide of Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry and racism in our nation that he has provoked through his numerous statements policies and appointments. President Trump delayed commenting on the attack leading to a public pressure for him to do so.
Later a message was posted on Trump's presidential Twitter account stating the violent attacks in Portland on Friday are unacceptable. The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are with them which to that I say, Tots and Pairs friends, Tots and Pairs. Right.
Like just I hate that so much. I know. Okay but to the real heroes of the story. Ricky John Best was 53 of Happy Valley and he died at the scene.
He was a technician for the City of Portland's Bureau of Development Services, a US veteran and a father of four children. In 2012 he had retired from the army after war of the 20 years of service. Damn. Tilesian Nankameshi was 23 and he was of Ashland died at a hospital shortly after the attack.
He had recently graduated from Reed College with a degree in economics and worked for the Cadmus Group Consulting firm. A passenger who helped him reported his last words and hold your fucking hand man. Tell everyone on this train I love them. She's just graced.
Rachel Macy, a witness to the attack gave her tank top so she could press it against his neck wound and she placed her hand over his. She and another man stayed by his side. She's quoted in the accord Oregonian is saying I just kept telling him you are not alone. We are here.
What you did was a total kindness. You're such a beautiful man. I'm sorry the world is so cruel. Michael David Colb Fletcher who was 21 survived and was treated Legacy Emmanuel Medical Center for serious but non-life threatening wounds.
Specifically a night injury to the throat. Yeah. The attacker severed Mike's left jugular vane while narrowly missed his carotid artery by one millimeter. Jesus Christ, you got to lucky.
So lucky. He was a student at Portland State University and he won a poetry contest in 2013 while he was a junior in high school with a poem about Islamophobia in the United States. And that is the fucking horrible story of the 2017 Portland backstabbing. That's so fucking awful.
It's so sad but the bravery of those men to stand up and intervene in that situation when they knew that their safety wasn't guaranteed. Yeah. It just always got me and with everything that's going on now it's like you really just have to look for the helpers. Yeah.
You have to look for the good ones. There's a shit load of shitty people out there. Mm-hmm. But there's also a lot of really good ones.
What a fucking bomber. Yeah. Have you ever heard of that? No.
Yeah. It's fucking awful and in like weird tangents because of course you know everything this area is not that big. Mm-hmm. One of my instructors when I was at PCC taught one of the victims.
Mm-hmm. And Nate's co-worker was really good friends with one of the victims as well. Yeah. So it's like and you know I write the max anytime I go into Portland.
Mm-hmm. And I think about that all the time. That's just fucking awful. But yeah, not a fun one.
No. But one I thought was important. It is important. So Ricky John Best, Mike and David Cole Fletcher and Talishian Namkaimeshi.
What fucking guys man. Yeah. Thanks for listening. You can email us at www.serialsisters.com or follow us on Instagram and Twitter at www.serialsisters.com.
Bye.