Zachary Hackman was sentenced on May 13 to 19 years in prison after accepting a plea agreement in connection with the 2022 death of 54-year-old James Orlando Harris. According to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, Hackman received 17 years for first-degree manslaughter and an additional two years for abuse of a corpse.
The case began on Oct. 9, 2022, when Portland police officers responded to reports of suspicious circumstances and discovered Harris’ body hidden inside a sleeping bag in a heavily wooded area. An autopsy later revealed Harris had suffered a fatal blow to the head with a hammer and had also been strangled using a dog leash.
Investigators determined Harris had likely been killed several days earlier, on Oct. 4.
Authorities later arrested Hackman, who was dating Harris’ daughter at the time. Prosecutors said surveillance footage captured Hackman covering a kitchen window with a towel on the day of the killing. Additional footage reportedly showed him and his girlfriend moving a large container into her vehicle shortly afterward.
According to court documents cited by local reports, the girlfriend told investigators she believed she was helping Hackman dispose of trash and had no idea her father’s body was inside the container. Prosecutors later stated that Hackman only confessed the truth to her after the body had already been moved.
During the investigation, the girlfriend reportedly told police she feared Hackman. Authorities have not charged her in connection with the case, and prosecutors said there was no evidence she knew about the killing beforehand.
Hackman was originally charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and abuse of a corpse before ultimately reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Officials have not publicly disclosed a motive for the killing.
