William Glen Blake, 56, from Oregon City, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his 38-year-old girlfriend, Jennifer Ruth Stuart, and received a life sentence with parole possible after 25 years. The killing occurred on August 14, 2025, during an argument at their home on the 600 block of Hilltop Lane, where Blake shot her in the lower left side of her body.
Case Details
Blake purchased a large tote, garbage bags, and gloves at Home Depot after the shooting, initially storing Stuart’s body in the tote before dumping it in Mount Hood National Forest off Hillockborn Road, fearing the container would link back to him. Her remains were discovered about two weeks later on September 1, 2025, by hunters alerted by turkey vultures; an autopsy confirmed death by gunshot wound. Surveillance footage from Home Depot and the forest area captured his vehicle, a 2002 red and gray Chevrolet Avalanche, aiding the investigation.
Prior Abuse and Arrest
Investigators noted Blake’s history of physically abusing Stuart, corroborated by a neighbor who reported regular assaults. Police found the tote during a second search of his home, and Blake confessed during interrogation to shooting her and abandoning the body in the woods. As part of the plea deal, charges of abuse of a corpse, unlawful weapon use with domestic intent, and tampering with evidence were dismissed.
Family Involvement
Blake’s 15-year-old son was arrested on October 23, 2025, for abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence, suspected of helping move the body, possibly using the pickup truck; he was held at Clackamas County Juvenile Intake. His 17-year-old son was questioned but not arrested.
Victim Impact
Jennifer’s mother, Elizabeth Stuart, delivered a powerful statement in Clackamas County Circuit Court, describing the disposal of her daughter’s body as being “shot, crammed into a plastic container… loaded up like an animal… dumped out like trash,” and labeling Blake a “rabid, savage beast.”
