Richard Dahl

Case record: Richard Dahl

Background

Richard Dahl was 17 years old and was a young companion of LeRoy Wine, an elderly Gilliam County farmer. Wine had been reported missing on Sept. 25, 1977.

Wine had been close friends with Richard Dahl since Wine’s wife left him to return to her hometown of Moses Lake, Wash. That incident fueled growing rumors about an intimate relationship between Wine and Dahl.

The body was found in an old, run-down barn. The barn was located 3 1/2 miles north of Olex.

The offence

LeRoy Wine’s body was partially buried in a pile of hay in the old barn. The body had two bullet wounds: one shot in the shoulder and another shot in the back of the head. A short piece of rope was tied around one leg.

The prosecution contended that Richard Dahl shot Wine in the shoulder the night of Sept. 25, 1977, while Wine was sleeping in his bed. The prosecution further contended that Dahl followed the wounded farmer outside and finished the job by firing a shot into the back of Wine’s head. The prosecution contended that Dahl tied a rope around Wine’s leg, attached it to the bumper of Wine’s pickup, and dragged the body about 400 yards to the old, abandoned barn. The prosecution contended that Dahl cut the rope and buried Wine in the haystack.

The investigation revealed Dahl killed Wine in an apparent fit of jealous rage. The material also stated that Wine reportedly accused Dahl of abusing and molesting his son, and that Wine told Dahl he was going back to his wife who had left him sometime earlier to return to Moses Lake.

Investigation

Volney Thomas, the veteran Gilliam County Sheriff, arrived at the scene within 30 minutes after teenage boys hunting for birds found the body on Oct. 15.

Sheriff Thomas found that Wine had been shot once in the shoulder and once in the back of the head by someone wielding a shotgun. The investigation focused on Richard Dahl because both Richard Dahl and Wine’s pickup truck were also missing.

The material reported that Richard Dahl had previously worked as a farm hand in California before hiring on at Wine’s farm. It also reported that investigators discovered Dahl had been stopped by an Oregon State Patrol trooper on Sept. 26 on Interstate 80 west of Arlington. Dahl was cited for having defective tail lights and no registration on the vehicle he was driving, which was described as the pickup truck belonging to LeRoy Wine. Dahl was released, pending a court appearance. He never showed up in court.

The material stated that police in Long Beach, Calif., arrested Dahl in mid-October on an OSP warrant. Dahl was flown to Portland on Oct. 21, 1977. Sheriff Thomas arrived in Portland the following day to take Dahl back to Gilliam County to face a charge of first-degree murder in the shooting death of LeRoy Wine.

Arrest

Richard Dahl was stopped by an Oregon State Patrol trooper on Sept. 26 on Interstate 80 west of Arlington, and was cited for having defective tail lights and no registration on the vehicle described as Wine’s pickup truck.

The material stated that Dahl was arrested in mid-October in Long Beach, Calif., on an OSP warrant.

21, 1977, and Sheriff Thomas arrived in Portland the following day to take Dahl back to Gilliam County.

Trial

Richard Dahl was tried in Gilliam County Circuit Court.

A 12-member jury convicted Dahl of first-degree murder on Feb. 9, 1979.

Sentencing

Judge Gordon W. Sloan sentenced Dahl to life in prison on April 2, 1979.

Two days later, Sheriff Thomas personally escorted Dahl to the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem to begin his prison term.

Outcome

Dahl was later released on parole.

At last report, Dahl was working on a ranch in Klamath County.

Other details

Teenage boys hunting for birds found LeRoy Wine’s body in a pile of hay inside an old barn and rushed to the home of Dolores Weatherford to report their find on Oct. 15. Weatherford called Sheriff Volney Thomas with the news.

The material stated that Wine had been reported missing on Sept. 25, 1977. It also stated that both Wine’s pickup truck and Dahl were missing.

Wine was reported to have accused Dahl of abusing and molesting his son.