Chad Michael Westover was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the second-degree murder of his neighbor Tristan Salvatore Thomas during a dispute at their apartment complex near Portland, Oregon. The fatal stabbing occurred on September 21, 2024, after an initial confrontation over motorcycle parking escalated into violence. Thomas, an off-duty postal worker, died from his injuries on October 3, 2024.
The incident unfolded at the Twin Creek Apartment complex on SE Sunnyside Road in Clackamas, just outside Portland. Earlier on September 21, 2024, Thomas confronted neighbor Christopher Stewart about how he parked his motorcycle. Stewart allegedly assaulted Thomas, who then sought hospital treatment, according to a probable cause affidavit.
After returning from the hospital, Thomas became involved in further tension. Stewart, Westover, and Stewart's cousin Samantha S. Christensen were at a party in the complex when Stewart received a call from his teenage daughter about being followed by a strange man. The group investigated and identified the man as Thomas, who was reportedly carrying a butcher knife.
Neighbors captured much of the altercation on video. In footage described in the affidavit, Westover said, "If you guys are done filming, I'll take care of it," to which Christensen replied, "I'm done, take care of it, Chad." Westover then attacked Thomas with a kitchen knife, stabbing him multiple times while on top of him. Thomas screamed for help, yelling, "He's stabbing me!" as neighbors and his mother, Beth Kostelnik, urged Westover to stop. The assault lasted nearly five minutes, resulting in Thomas suffering a 4-inch slash to his left vertebral artery and several other stab wounds. Westover was also injured but claimed later at the hospital that it was from a motorcycle accident.
Westover fled the scene with Christensen, who took Thomas's phone and told 911 dispatchers that everything was "fine" when they called back. Deputies noted that Thomas did not harm Westover during the incident. Westover was arrested a few days later and convicted last year of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon.
During sentencing on February 24, 2025, Kostelnik told the judge, "He has shown no remorse for killing my son... I think if he gets out he is going to do it again." Westover responded, "My instincts kicked in. I'm sorry... I think forgiveness is the best revenge."
Westover's defense argued that Thomas was the aggressor, describing him as an "unreasonable and unstable man" who was drunk that night. Christensen, who turned herself in, faces charges including first-degree assault and tampering with evidence; she claimed Thomas attacked Westover first. Thomas's family remembered him as a vibrant postal carrier who served his community.