Dallas Ray Stevens

Linn County - Oregon

Born: 10/31/52

Sentenced to death: 1/18/1989

Stevens was convicted of aggravated murder and numerous sex abuse and rape charges after kidnapping three of his nieces in 1988. One of the children, 5-year-old Nicole Lynae Edwards, was found dead in the attic crawl space in Stevens' house on an Oakville dairy farm. The others were injured but alive. Stevens was sentenced to death a second time after his first sentence was overturned. The second sentence also was overturned.

Interesting fact: Prior to strangling his niece, Stevens raped the 12-year-old daughter of a woman who had been his pen pal while he was serving time in an Idaho prison.

Status: Resentenced to life.

Dallas Ray Stevens

Associated Press

April 2, 1998

The Oregon Supreme Court has cleared the way for a jury to consider the option of sentencing Linn County child killer Dallas Ray Stevens to life without parole instead of death.

Stevens twice has been sentenced to death, only to have the Supreme Court overturn the sentences, in the case that has been in the court system for 10 years.

Stevens was convicted in 1988 of aggravated murder in the slaying of his 5-year-old niece, Nicole Edwards, after kidnapping her and her 2 sisters.

The other 2 girls were molested but found alive.

The Supreme Court set aside two previous death sentences against Stevens on grounds that mitigating evidence was not adequately considered.

The court's decision Wednesday was on procedural motions prior to a planned 3rd sentencing hearing.

Among the motions was one by the state seeking to overturn a Linn County Circuit Court ruling that the life without parole alternative can be weighed by the sentencing jury.

Under the state's capital punishment law, juries decide sentencing in separate proceedings from the trials on murder charges.