INFAMOUS MURDERS - LIYSA NORTHON

LIYSA DeWITT (MORAN, EHLEN, KING, MATTSON) NORTHON:

LIYSA NORTHON, age 46, is currently incarcerated at the

Coffee Creek Correctional Facility at Wilsonville, Oregon for

the drugging & shooting murder of her husband Christopher

James "Chris" Northon. She was sentenced to 12 1/2 years

and will serve a minimum of 10 years and will be credited

for about 9 months already served.

Parole Eligibility date: 2011

1996 - March - Chris Northon, airline pilot, married Liysa King,

a writer and artist. The last two years of the marriage Liysa began

telling anyone who would listen that she was the victim of verbal

and physical spousal abuse, that her husband drank and smoked

pot constantly, becoming violent. That he had threatened to kill

her if she left and took their young son. Northon had made

reports of domestic abuse with police but no charges were ever

filed against Chris Northon.

2000 -October 9 - Liysa Northon left her 8 year old son at a

friend's home in Washington state and with their 3 year old son

accompanied Chris Northon on a camping trip to a remote

campground. (While reportedly deathly afraid of him)

Chris Northon was later found to have large levels of sedative in

his body as well as a gun shot to the head. His body is stripped of

clothing and located in a sleeping bag which covers his face.

After the shooting Northon drove herself and her son 4 hours

across state lines to the friend's home in Washington where she

telephones Oregon police to tip them off to find Chris' body. Liysa

informed the authorities that her husband had become

drunk & violent and threatened their young son and

tried to drown her. Liysa told police "I blindly fired a

shot at Chris to scare him."

The Police investigation disputed Northon's claims and she was

charged with murder.

In a twist of irony, the same correctional facility for women that

Northon is incarcerated in had its ground-breaking ceremony in

April of 2000.

2001 -July - Liysa Northon at first pled Not Guilty at trial but

when her computer and emails were brought into evidence she

pled an Alford Plea. Northon, age 39, was duly convicted to

first degree manslaughter and 12 1/2 years and transported to

prison.

2002 -December - PLEA FOR CLEMENCY - Northon filed

a plea for clemency claiming that she was a battered wife; that

she was coerced into the guilty plea; and that Chris Northon had

repeatedly threatened to kill her if she left with their son.

(Northon also claims on her blogsite that her attorney of record

"misappropriated $30,000 & did not hire experts & filed a false

affidavit with the court to discredit her & cover his own actions.)

The Governor declined to grant her plea for pardon.

After her arrest both of the two boys, one from a previous marriage,

and Chris Northon's son, have been cared for by a former husband,

Donald King, who lives in Hawaii.

In prison Northon is employed as a recreation clerk, has worked on

children's stories and taught yoga and nutrional education to fellow

inmates.

2003 - September - WRONGFUL DEATH -The estate of Chris

Northon sues Liysa Northon for $7.5 million. $5 million for the economic

loss suffered by theestate; $1 million in economic damages specifically for

loss of Chris Northon's services; $1.5 million in noneconomic was claimed

for the disability, pain and suffering Chris suffered between the period

between the time he was injured and when he died, and for the loss to

his beneficiaries of his society and companionship. This is being filed on

behalf of the beneficiary of the estate, Chris' son Dane. Attorney Gary R.

Johnson stated "We are trying to preclude her from ever being

able to benefit from Chris Northon' s death.

2004 - February -LAWSUIT AGAINST AUTHOR ANNE RULE

Liysa Northon filed a complaint in Multnomah County Circuit Court,

Oregon. Northon claims Author Ann Rule's book "Heart Full of Lies"

damaged her reputation because she has always claimed "that she

was the victim of domestic violence at the hands of Chris Northon

and that she acted to protect herself and her children.

"The suit also names the prosecutor Daniel Ousley, claiming Ousley

falsely told Rule "there was no evidence Chris Northon used drugs

or was abusive to his wife."

The suit was dismissed.

Anti-Slapp

2004 - February 27 - Northon appealed the dismissal & Rule's

attorneys moved for attorney's fees.
Attorney fees awarded.

Cases affirmed without opinion

Liysa Northon has also sued: the Northons and her former

brother-in-law, as well as the State of Oregon.

The Oregon legislature passed into law a "Liysa Northon bill"

that forbids convicted killers not only from benefiting financially

from their victims' estates, but from the descendants of victims,

a law designed to protect Chris Northon's son Bjorn when he

comes into the large estate from Chris Northon when he is in his

mid-teens.

2006 - May 22 -

06-01273 5/22/2006 "Northon, Liysa" "Ousley, Daniel" 0 8/9/2006

Referred to Discipline Credible Evidence

2007 - May 30 -Court of Appeals SLIP Opinions Cases Affirmed

Without Opinions 05/30/07 - Norton, Liysa King v. Hill (A126792)

2007 - November 23 - Northon v. Howton OR King Civil Rights Petition for

Writ of Habeas Corpus (State) Petitioner: Liysa Ann King Northon

vs Respondent: Nancy Howton.

Nancy Howton was named the superintendent of Coffee Creek

in November 2007.

2008 - A blog maintained on Liysa Northon's behalf, which

contains her writings and opinions & where she continues to

rail against Ann Rule, and presents her claims. The very same

claims she's presented in court and lost.

In prison and on the blog Northon continues to profess her

claims of having shot Chris Northon out of innocence and fears

stemming from her years of abuse. Prosecutor Ousley has stated

that no evidence of Chris Northon using drugs or abusing Liysa

Northon has ever existed.

For articles on the case from the time of arrest and onwards:

The Observer Articles

It's quite possible Northon could be turned down on her parole

application and would have to serve the remainder of her sentence,

because she continues to profess that she was a battered victim and

refuses to accept full culpability for the crime.

The Oregon Parole Board rarely grants such parole requests.

Author Ann Rule's book about the case is "Heart Full of Lies."

For more information see these posts at CMM FORUM:

CHRISTOPHER NORTHON

CRIME SCENE PHOTOS

LIYSA NORTHON