PORTLAND, OR - On Wednesday, September 18th, a former college soccer player from New Jersey was sentenced to more than three years in prison for biting off an elderly man's face and ear back in January 2023 while on a train platform in Portland, Oregon.
According to the New York Post, Koryn Kraemer, now 27-years-old, attacked the 78-year-old victim, whom he believed to be a "killer robot" at the Cleveland Avenue MAX station around 2:00 a.m. on January 3, 2023. The former college athlete was admittedly under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, and fentanyl when he approached the man and violently attacked him.
By the time police had responded to the scene, Kraemer had chewed off the man's ear and bitten the skin off his face to the point of exposing his skill. Court documents said that he spit out the victim's flesh on the tracks and claimed the police "saved his life by separating him from 'the robot.'" When he was interviewed by police after the incident he stated that he believed the victim was a "robot" trying to "kill him based on how the victim smelled." At the time of the incident, the victim was hospitalized and stable. However, he has since died from unrelated causes.
Both the defense and the prosecution attributed the grisly violence to Kraemer's schizophrenia, for which he is now receiving treatment. After the incident, Kraemer was found mentally unfit to stand trial after his arrest. He spent four months in the Oregon State Hospital where he was prescribed medicine to treat schizophrenia.
On Wednesday, Kraemer told Multnomah County Circuit Judge Shelley Russell that his own mental illness caused the attack.
"I feel really horribly about what happened, and I know now that by medicating my condition I'll be able to manage my illness and ensure that nothing violent happens in the future." After the news broke about the incident, KGW8 reported that Kraemer had been evicted from his rental home in November 2022 after allegedly trashing the property.
The owner of the house said that Kraemer, who had recently relocated to Oregon from Georgia, was pleasant when he was not drinking or smoking marijuana, but then something changed in his behavior and he started mumbling to himself.
Kraemer grew up in Westfield, New Jersey, and previously attended Oberlin College in Ohio, where he was a goalie on the men's soccer team in 2015 and 2016. According to OregonLive, Kraemer had previously been arrested in Georgia. After serving his sentence, Kraemer plans to return back to New Jersey to live with his family.
He was initially charged with felony assault, but pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree attempted assault as part of a plea bargain with prosecutors. He was sentenced to 40 months in prison with credit for time served and the possibility of time off for good behavior. He will spend nearly two years under supervision after he is released, which could be as early as summer 2025.
According to the New York Post, Koryn Kraemer, now 27-years-old, attacked the 78-year-old victim, whom he believed to be a "killer robot" at the Cleveland Avenue MAX station around 2:00 a.m. on January 3, 2023. The former college athlete was admittedly under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, and fentanyl when he approached the man and violently attacked him.
By the time police had responded to the scene, Kraemer had chewed off the man's ear and bitten the skin off his face to the point of exposing his skill. Court documents said that he spit out the victim's flesh on the tracks and claimed the police "saved his life by separating him from 'the robot.'" When he was interviewed by police after the incident he stated that he believed the victim was a "robot" trying to "kill him based on how the victim smelled." At the time of the incident, the victim was hospitalized and stable. However, he has since died from unrelated causes.
Both the defense and the prosecution attributed the grisly violence to Kraemer's schizophrenia, for which he is now receiving treatment. After the incident, Kraemer was found mentally unfit to stand trial after his arrest. He spent four months in the Oregon State Hospital where he was prescribed medicine to treat schizophrenia.
On Wednesday, Kraemer told Multnomah County Circuit Judge Shelley Russell that his own mental illness caused the attack.
"I feel really horribly about what happened, and I know now that by medicating my condition I'll be able to manage my illness and ensure that nothing violent happens in the future." After the news broke about the incident, KGW8 reported that Kraemer had been evicted from his rental home in November 2022 after allegedly trashing the property.
The owner of the house said that Kraemer, who had recently relocated to Oregon from Georgia, was pleasant when he was not drinking or smoking marijuana, but then something changed in his behavior and he started mumbling to himself.
Kraemer grew up in Westfield, New Jersey, and previously attended Oberlin College in Ohio, where he was a goalie on the men's soccer team in 2015 and 2016. According to OregonLive, Kraemer had previously been arrested in Georgia. After serving his sentence, Kraemer plans to return back to New Jersey to live with his family.
He was initially charged with felony assault, but pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree attempted assault as part of a plea bargain with prosecutors. He was sentenced to 40 months in prison with credit for time served and the possibility of time off for good behavior. He will spend nearly two years under supervision after he is released, which could be as early as summer 2025.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments