Talon Gabriel Mitchell, a 23-year-old from Oregon, received a 20-year prison sentence for fatally shooting his wife, Oulaykham Mona Chopheng, just weeks after their marriage in February 2023.
He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter with a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon, admitting to LSD use that left him in a disoriented, dreamlike state during the incident.
Case Details
Beaverton police responded to a neighbor’s 911 call around 10:15 p.m. on February 23, 2023, at an apartment on Southwest 160th Avenue, finding Chopheng dead from a face gunshot on the couch and Mitchell nearby with blood on his shoes.
Mitchell texted 911 bizarre messages like “HELP, IM STUCK IN A DREAM,” “I’m being controlled,” “Help me,” and “Insanity,” later claiming he blacked out after LSD and awoke to what he thought was a nightmare or zombie scenario.
Witnesses heard a woman crying for help and a man speaking abruptly beforehand.
Sentencing
Washington County Circuit Judge Theodore Sims imposed the sentence last week, requiring 10 years served fully before potential reduction for good behavior; trial was set for March 31 but avoided via plea deal.
