Klamath Falls police have arrested three individuals charged with the brutal beating death of a homeless man discovered in a vacant home on February 26.
According to the Klamath Falls Police Department, officers found Kolton Esparza around 11 a.m. that day while conducting a welfare call.
The victim was discovered naked and bound with rope, suffering severe beatings and signs of torture. He was transported to a hospital but died one day later from his injuries.
Prosecutors allege that 49-year-old Jamie S. Harrington drove Esparza to the Eulalona Trailhead in Klamath Falls along with her brother, 34-year-old Reggie L. Townsend Jr., and 39-year-old Wesley J. Powless. The men reportedly chased Esparza after he attempted to flee, eventually catching up near a vacant home where they beat him with a brick or rock while kicking him. Powless and Townsend are said to have cleaned the scene and left with evidence in a black garbage bag.
A medical examiner determined that Esparza’s death was caused by severe head trauma. Investigators obtained a confession letter from Townsend to his girlfriend stating: “I beat Kolton with a rock and stomped him out with my shoes.”
Harrington and her brother were arrested on February 27, while Powless was detained during a traffic stop. The three men have been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and tampering with evidence. Harrington faces additional charges of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, tampering with evidence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
