“Self-Professed” Landlord Convicted of Murdering 2 Tenants Gets Life Sentence – WPXI

PORTLAND, Ore. — A “self-proclaimed” Oregon landlord accused of murdering two tenants has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 35 years.

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Phillip Lawrence Nelson, 42, of Portland, was sentenced to life in prison Friday by a Multnomah County jury, The Oregonian reported.

Nelson, who claimed self-defense in the 2020 killing, was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of Cassy Leaton and first-degree manslaughter for the death of Najaf “Nate” Hobbs, according to the newspaper.

The two men were attacked on June 16, 2020, in Portland, KGW-TV reported. Hobbs, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene, while Leaton, 22, later died at an area hospital, according to the television station.

Nelson was arrested two days later, according to KPTV.

The incident occurred at a fourplex located at 1403 NE Davis Street. Police had been called to the residence days before the killings after Hobbs and Leaton reported that Nelson was falsely representing himself as the owner, The Oregonian reported.

Nelson had occupied one of the units in the quadruplex since March 2019 and had gained the trust of the building owner after evicting the squatters, but he did not have permission to sublet the residence or act as owner, according to the newspaper.

However, Nelson collected rent, processed repair requests and changed locks, according to court records.

Hobbs moved into the building in spring 2020, but changed the locks on the couple's unit, according to a lawsuit filed by an attorney representing his estate. Hobbs was concerned about Nelson's alleged behavior, The Oregonian reported.

Nelson testified that he entered the basement of the fourplex and turned off the water to the unit occupied by Hobbs and Leaton, The Oregonian reported.

The couple sawed through a wooden trellis leading to the basement, went back into their apartment and returned to try to turn on the water faucet, according to the newspaper.

Prosecutors said Nelson waited for them in the basement and attacked them with a 12-inch blade he nicknamed “necronita,” The Oregonian reported.

Prosecutors said Nelson stabbed the couple “multiple times” during their confrontation, according to the newspaper. Both victims were unarmed.

Officer Zachary Nell testified that he told Nelson that he was misapplying Oregon's “adverse possession” law and that he had no right to collect rent for the other units, The Oregonian reported. He advised the couple not to pay more, prompting Nelson to send emails warning the officer that he had “risked his life,” according to court records.

Nelson said his misunderstanding of the law led to his actions, according to The Oregonian.

“If I had a better understanding of the law, as I know I do, my decisions leading to the deaths of Najaf and Cassy would have been very different,” Nelson said in court Friday. “There is nothing anyone can do to fill this void in your life.”

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