Inset: Jennifer Ruth Stuart (Clackamas County Sheriff”s Office’s). Background: Mount Hood National Forest in Clackamas County, Oregon, where Stuart’s body was found (KPTV/YouTube).
Authorities report that an Oregon man fatally attacked his girlfriend during a domestic dispute at their residence, subsequently disposing of her body in a forested area with assistance from his teenage son.
William Glen Blake, aged 56, faces charges of second-degree murder in connection with the death of 38-year-old Jennifer Ruth Stuart. Additional charges against him include corpse abuse, weapon use with domestic intent, and evidence tampering, as indicated by jail records.
Investigators suspect Blake killed Stuart on August 15 at their home located on the 600 block of Hilltop Lane in Oregon City. Her body remained undiscovered until September 1, when it was found in Mount Hood National Forest. The exact cause of her death remains undetermined at this time.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, in a public statement, revealed that Blake’s 15-year-old son was involved in the post-murder activities, specifically in transporting Stuart’s remains.
The teenager was taken into custody at the Clackamas County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center. Charges against him include abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence, according to the press release.
Authorities have not disclosed the name of Blake’s younger son but are seeking public assistance in locating another son, 17-year-old Austin Michael Blake, and a red Chevy Avalanche with Texas license plates.
Though authorities said Stuart shared a home with William Blake before her death, local reporting suggests the victim was previously homeless. Other homeless people in the area said it was suspicious that she was found so far away.
“She was a good girl, but she’s in a better place I guess,” Stuart’s friend Mike Chaney told local Fox affiliate KPTV. “When I found out, it hit me in my stomach, it hurt. Why do we have to lose the good ones when there are so many bad people out there?”
William Blake is currently being held without bail.
Clackamas County is located in northern Oregon, just south of Portland.
