A 30-year-old man, Adam Jamal Burns, was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Thursday for the 2023 murder of his wife, April Newcombe Cripe, in southeast Portland, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. Burns pleaded guilty in August to shooting and killing Cripe, who was both his wife and the mother of their two children.
The tragedy occurred outside Cripe’s residence at the Wimbledon Square Apartments on Southeast 30th Avenue, where she lived with her children. Police found her fatally shot outside the apartment, while her children were safely located inside.
Before the fatal incident, Cripe had reportedly “expressed concerns” about Burns harming or killing her, according to police. Surveillance footage from the apartment complex showed a vehicle matching Burns’ car in the area just minutes before the police were alerted. The gun used in the crime was later found and linked directly to Burns.
Burns was arrested in Clark County on May 8, 2023, following the investigation. He pleaded guilty on August 22, 2024, and was sentenced by Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Jenna Plank. Burns is now in the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections, where he will serve his 23-year sentence for the murder of his wife.