Oregon woman's 1993 death reclassified as homicide, cold case reopened
Astrid Bridges, 45, was found dead at her Gresham, Oregon, home on July 2, 1993. More than three decades later, authorities have reclassified her death as a homicide and reopened the investigation. (Gresham Police)
GRESHAM, Ore. - More than 30 years after a 45-year-old Oregon woman was found dead in her home, authorities have reopened the case after the medical examiner reclassified her death from an accident to a homicide.
The Gresham Police Department announced that the investigation into the death of Astrid Bridges has been reopened following a new review of the evidence.
According to police, officers responded to a home on Overlook Court in southwest Gresham on July 2, 1993, where they found Bridges deceased. Investigators collected physical evidence, interviewed her family and canvassed the neighborhood for information.
At the time, the Medical Examiner's Office ruled Bridges' death accidental.
After a re-examination of the physical evidence and Bridges' injuries, however, the Medical Examiner's Office determined her death should be classified as a homicide, prompting authorities to reopen the case.
Gresham Police Chief Travis Gullberg said the department now has the resources to actively investigate older cases.
"Thanks to the combined impacts of the voter-approved Police and Fire levy, our work with the Gresham Police Officer's Association to hire additional detectives, and our patrol division's efforts, including the Ceasefire initiative, to reduce ongoing crime, we are now able to assign these important cases for active investigation," Gullberg said.
Detectives with the Gresham Police Department are leading the investigation with assistance from investigators from the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective Tyson Conroy at Tyson.Conroy@GreshamOregon.gov
The Source: The information in this story comes from a Facebook post issued by the Gresham Police Department. This story was reported from Los Angeles.