ORIGINAL
Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan reports that on October 11, 2022, at 6:08 a.m., the Linn County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center received a 911 call from a trucking dispatch center. The caller reported one of their truck operators had radioed the dispatch center, reporting a man had been stabbed near milepost 20 on Quartzville Road, outside of Sweet Home.
Deputies responding to the location where they were flagged down by the truck operator on Quartzville Road and provided additional details, including suspect vehicle information. Deputies located the victim of the stabbing and provided life saving measures while other responding deputies found and stopped the suspect vehicles. The victim, a 36-year-old male transient from Arizona, was transported by ambulance to Lebanon Hospital and then taken to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis by Life Flight.
Investigators were able to determine the victim was transient and traveled to the Quartzville area with a group including John Kersey, 72, also a transient from Albany. The investigation further revealed the victim and Kersey had argued when Kersey got into a vehicle and rammed it into the victim. Kersey then jumped out of the vehicle and stabbed the victim several times. No one at the campsite gave care or medical attention to the victim who was able to walk approximately 250 feet where he was found by the truck operator.
The victim suffered life-threatening injuries but is suspected to survive. Kersey was arrested and lodged at the Linn County Jail for Assault 1. The investigation is continuing, and more charges may be pending.
UPDATE
Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan reports that her detectives made two additional arrests related to the stabbing on October 13, 2022. Carl William Serpa, 38, transient from Albany was arrested and charged with Assault 1. Michael Allen Kulp, 30, transient from Albany was arrested and charged with Assault 1.
Anybody that was traveling in the area of milepost 20 on Quartzville Road during the late hours of October 10 to early hours of October 11 is asked to call Detective Scott Tennant at (541) 967-3950.