The Brief
Oregon authorities are asking for help from North Texans to find two murder suspects believed to be hiding in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The suspects, identified as Anthony Hunter Jr. and Xavier Hirsch, are wanted in connection with the April 27 murder of 13-year-old William "Liam" Spahnle-Bailey.
A $15,000 reward is being offered by the U.S. Marshals for information leading to the arrest of the three suspects.
Police in Oregon are trying to find three suspects accused of killing a 13-year-old.
Investigators believe at least two of them may be hiding out in North Texas.
FOX 4’s Amelia Jones spoke to the Multnomah County District Attorney's office, who says tips have been coming in since the release of the suspects' names last week, but none have led to an arrest.
Now they're asking for help from North Texans.
What we know
These are the two murder suspects police in Oregon say have ties to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
21-year-old Anthony Hunter Jr. and 20-year-old Xavier Hirsch.
Authorities are also looking for a third suspect, 17-year-old Terrell Coy, who they say has ties to the state of Arizona.
Police in Oregon say the three are wanted for the murder of 13-year-old William Spahnle-Bailey, who went by Liam.
"There are people out there right now who know where these individuals are; we need them to come forward, we need to bring these individuals to face justice," said Nathan Vasquez, District Attorney of Multnomah County in Oregon.
The backstory
On April 27, the boy was spending the night at his father's apartment near Portland, Oregon.
Police say he was hit by a stray bullet while he was sleeping.
"That morning, Liam was planning to go snowboarding with his family, but instead his life was stolen by a senseless act of violence," said Andrew Shearer, the Assistant Chief of Police of Gresham Police Department in Oregon.
The local District Attorney's office says there was some sort of fight at the apartment next door that led to the shooting, but they didn't say what the fight was about.
Spahnle-Bailey's family has no connection to the suspects.
"Liam deserved safety, Liam deserved a future, and now Liam deserves justice," said Shearer.
What they're saying
The U.S. Marshals have partnered with police to offer a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of each suspect.
A total of $15,000 will be rewarded for information that leads to the arrest of all three.
"Let me be clear, we will not stop. We'll pursue every lead, exhaust every resource, and do everything in our power to hold accountable those who are responsible for Liam's murder," said Shearer.
The district attorney vowed to take legal action against anyone caught helping the suspects.
"If you're hiding individuals, if you're aiding them in anyway, I will prosecute you," said Vasquez.
"This family, this community, deserves justice and this needs to end with those individuals being brought into custody."
What's next
Authorities couldn't go into specifics, but they did share that the suspects had previous run-ins with the law.
Anyone with information can contact GPD tip line at 503-618-2719 or toll-free at 1-888-989-3505. Information can be sent directly to investigators via email at [email protected] or [email protected].
Anonymous information can be submitted via Crime Stoppers, www.CrimeStoppersUSA.org.
The Source
Information in this article was provided from interviews conducted by FOX 4's Amelia Jones. Additional information was provided by a presser from Gresham Police Department in Oregon.
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