BEND, OR -- It’s been almost a year since a 76-year-old man was found critically wounded in the roundabout at 14th and Newport. Walter Lane later died at the hospital from blunt force trauma to the head. Bend Police have now arrested the victim’s son in law in the case that started as a suspected hit and run. "We had crash reconstructionists and detectives conduct a thorough investigation, and they were unable to find any physical evidence that this was a hit and run," Bend PD's Sheila Miller tells KBND News.
Police now believe Lane he was left in the road by his son-in-law, Todd Brown, on October 27, 2022. "Mr. Lane lived with Mr. and Mrs. Brown," says Miller, "On the night in question, Mr. Brown and Mr. Lane went out drinking together at a couple places: Westside Tavern and Stars Cabaret." She adds, "Our investigation has shown that Mr. Brown was intoxicated when he left Stars with Mr. Lane in his Cadillac Escalade." That vehicle matches the desription of the vehicle witnesses saw speeding from the roundabout just before Lane was found.
Miller says the investigation took so long because, "Mr. Brown and his wife did not cooperate with our investigation. They weren’t forthcoming with information, like for example that they owned a vehicle that matched the description of the vehicle that we were searching for." She also says, "They were not providing us with information about Mr. Lane’s whereabouts in the hours leading up to his injuries. In fact, Mr. Brown left town and went to California shortly after Mr. Lane’s death."
But Brown is only - so far - charged with Misdemeanors: Two counts of DUII, Reckless Driving and Reckless Endangering. He's not accused of causing Lane's death. "He was in the vehicle with Mr. Brown shortly before he sustained those injuries. And we know that Mr. Brown left Mr. Lane behind in the roundabout and he left the scene. And then Mr. Lane ultimately died of his injuries." According to Bend PD, Brown does not have a valid Oregon license and is revoked in California.
"We still do not know how Mr. Lane ended up outside of the vehicle. That might be a question for Mr. Brown. He declined to answer that question, when questioned by our detectives," says Miller.
