Summary: On July 11, 1996, the body of 22-year-old Michael Anthony Yeggins was found shot to death near the playground in Northeast Portland's Woodlawn Park. Detectives from the Portland Police Bureau Homicide Detail began an investigation but by April of 2000 the case had gone cold and remained unsolved. In January 2007, the Portland Police Bureau's Cold Case Homicide Unit began examining the case again, with the assistance of two Gang Enforcement Team detectives. Through the investigation, detectives interviewed and re-interviewed a number of witnesses in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Colorado. Through the continuing investigative efforts of the Cold Case Homicide Unit, a Multnomah County Grand Jury heard evidence linking 38-year-old David Deangelo McDonald to Yeggins' death and issued an indictment in July 2011 for Murder. McDonald was transferred to the Multnomah County Jail yesterday, July 27, 2011, from the Oregon Department of Corrections. McDonald is a convicted felon and has been serving a 41 month sentence for Felon in Possession of a Firearm since August 2009. The Cold Case Unit is comprised of a Sergeant, and four Detectives who are assisted by several retired investigators who volunteer their time and are now working under a Federal grant sponsored by the US Department of Justice and the National Institute for Justice. This grant pays retired investigators to review cold homicide cases. This case also used a new investigative and training method of the Multnomah County District Attorney's office who partnered with Cold Case Homicide Detectives. This case was worked on by a number of misdemeanor lawyers under the supervision of Chief Deputy Rod Underhill and Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff Howes, to review and critique all of the evidence and offer investigation suggestions to the Cold Case Homicide Unit. The Portland Police Bureau has nearly 300 unsolved murders dating back to 1969.
