There is no clear suspect in the murder of federal public defender Nancy Bergeson in Portland, The Oregonian reports. There was no sign of forced entry at her home, which was not ransacked. Bergeson, who would have turned 58 today, had e-mailed her mother last week, relieved that her defense of a man in a tax evasion conspiracy case had wrapped up Friday after a three-week trial.
Her sister, Julie McCormick, said McCormick’s husband, a county public defender in California, often discussed case strategies with Bergeson. She didn’t talk about fears of retribution or retaliation by clients. “You always worry about that, but this was not a concern she ever expressed, ” her sister said. Bergeson was strong, so her family can’t imagine someone overpowering her. Said her sister: “The irony in this to me is she defended people who committed crimes, and she was such their advocate. If this person could do something so horrific to her [] She would have been probably their best ally, and this person takes her out. That’s what kills me.”