A Portland man facing a murder charge bailed out of jail Monday despite a judge’s order demanding that he remain in custody until trial.
Ty Sage was the suspect mistakenly released from a Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office facility, according to jail rosters.
“We just learned that this murder defendant was erroneously released,” prosecutor Maddie Loeb said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “We are working with the court and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office to get this defendant back into custody as quickly as possible.”
Sage, 26, was arrested in May on second-degree murder and first-degree robbery charges in the Dec. 4, 2021 killing of 15-year-old Lowgunn Ivey in the Columbia Trails apartment complex in Northwest Gresham.
Prosecutors made their case to keep Sage behind bars during a bail hearing last week, presenting extensive messages that showed Sage and a co-defendant were planning to buy a rifle, handgun, ammunition and cocaine from Ivey for $4150.
But the drug deal went bad, prosecutors wrote in a preventative detention memo, and the co-defendant, Kevin Rivas-Ramirez, 26, allegedly shot Ivey four times. Sage is accused of aiding and abetting the plot.
Judge Bryan Francesconi heard the evidence and on Wednesday ordered Sage be held without bail.
It’s not entirely apparent what happened next or how Sage was cleared for release. The judge’s order checked a box stating that “release is denied.” But the order also mentions that bail was previously set at $5,000, which appears to be erroneous. If misinterpreted, Sage could have walked out by posting 10%, or $500.
Brent Weisberg, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said jailers had acted in “good faith” when they released Sage, and later sought clarification of the judge’s order.
“The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office recognizes that we hold the ultimate responsibility for a person’s release from custody,” Weisberg said. “Our priority now is to safely locate the defendant.”
Defense attorney Jordan Willetts declined to comment.
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