Postal worker stabbed, killed after confrontation with neighbor, 2 suspects

OREGON CITY, Ore. (KPTV/Gray News) – Two suspects are charged in connection with the fatal off-duty stabbing attack of an Oregon postal worker.

Samantha Christensen, 48, turned herself in to the Clackamas County Jail on Wednesday after being charged with first-degree assault, tampering with evidence, hindering prosecution and interfering with the making of a report, according to court documents. She is being held on $250,000 bail.

Christensen and her cousin, 52-year-old Chad Michael Westover, are charged in connection with the Oct. 3 death of Tristan Thomas, a 43-year-old postal worker, following a knife attack. KPTV reports that Westover was initially charged with first-degree assault, but the charge was upgraded after Thomas’ death.

According to court documents, Thomas called police around 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 to report an altercation with his neighbor that stemmed from a parking issue at an apartment complex in Clackamas. No arrests were made, but responding officers said there was evidence that the neighbor had attacked Thomas and Thomas pepper-sprayed him.

Thomas went to a nearby hospital but received no treatment and called police just before 8 p.m. to tell them he was returning home. He wanted to be assured that the neighbor would be arrested, but officers lacked evidence to do so at the time.

About an hour later, Thomas contacted authorities again to report a welfare check at the neighbor’s apartment. He said he heard a child screaming and thought he also heard the man hitting the child. Police responded but found no evidence of an active disturbance.

Then, around 11:20 p.m., Thomas called 911 again and reported that he was confronted by the neighbor, his friend Christensen and Westover, and the neighbor’s 16-year-old daughter. The start of the attack could be heard in the 911 call.

The group accused Thomas of stalking the daughter. Christensen told police that the neighbor was at her home with Westover for a party when he received a call from his daughter saying a strange man had been following her, according to court documents. The neighbor believed the man was Thomas based on the earlier confrontation, and the group made their way to the apartments where they confronted the victim.

According to court documents, the neighbor’s cell phone video shows part of the interaction, while cell phone video from another resident of the apartments shows Westover telling the neighbor and Christensen, with Thomas not seen, “When you guys are done filming, I will” myself “I’ll take care of it.”

“I’m done. Take care, Chad,” Christensen replies. The video then shows Westover leaving the screen, apparently toward Thomas.

Christensen told police that Thomas had a large kitchen knife in his pocket. Court records show that in a later phone call with Christensen and the neighbor, Westover claimed that Thomas stabbed him in the face and again in the side as he went for a “double leg” takedown. Court documents show images of Westover’s stab wounds.

The same resident also recorded audio of the actual attack, in which Thomas can be heard screaming for help. The neighbor can be heard telling Westover, “Chad, let him go, let him go…”

After being repeatedly asked to move away from Thomas, Westover left the victim lying in a pool of blood and left the scene with Christensen.

According to police, Christensen also took Thomas’ phone. When 911 called back from the disconnected emergency line during the attack, she told operators that everything was OK; although Thomas could apparently be heard screaming for help in the background.

Responding officers discovered that Thomas had suffered multiple stab wounds to his neck, face and shoulder. He was hospitalized and remained in a coma until his death on October 3, two weeks after the attack.

The United States Postal Service confirmed that Thomas was a postal worker and was off duty at the time of the attack.

Brandon Thomas, a close cousin of the victim, says those two weeks were difficult, but the community’s support helped the family get through this unimaginable tragedy.

“Complete strangers have reached out to me with different messages,” he said. “I’m not even sure how they got my phone number. I get a text and all these wonderful things about my cousin and it’s nice to hear. That’s what’s keeping me going right now.”

Close relatives tell KPTV the funeral will take place later this month, and they have created a GoFundMe to pay for all medical bills and final resting place costs.

“Funeral plans are next on the agenda. Make sure Tristan is truly remembered and that there is a real celebration,” Brandon Thomas said. “We want something positive to come out of this.”

Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 503-723-4949 or visit the website here.

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