GRESHAM — More than 30 years after a woman was found dead in her southwest Gresham home, police have reopened the investigation after the county Medical Examiner changed the manner of death from accidental to homicide.
Re-examination leads to new classification
Officers originally responded to a residence on Overlook Court on July 2, 1993, where 45-year-old Astrid Bridges was discovered deceased. At that time investigators collected physical evidence, interviewed family members and conducted a neighborhood canvass. The Multnomah County Medical Examiner initially ruled the death accidental.
Following a recent re-review of the evidence and Bridges’ injuries, the Medical Examiner determined the death should be classified as a homicide. That change prompted Gresham police to assign detectives to the matter and formally reopen the case.
"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," Gresham Police Chief Travis Gullberg said.
Investigation and public appeal
Detectives from the Gresham Police Department are leading the newly reopened probe with assistance from investigators from the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. Authorities asked anyone with information to contact Detective Tyson Conroy via email at Tyson.Conroy@GreshamOregon.gov.
Police did not release additional details about the evidence that prompted the reclassification or name any suspects. Reopening long-unsolved cases has become more common as agencies apply modern forensic review and allocate resources to cold investigations, officials said.
- Victim: Astrid Bridges, 45 at time of death
- Date discovered: July 2, 1993
- Location: Home on Overlook Court, southwest Gresham
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Bridges found dead; death ruled accidental |
| 2026 | Medical Examiner reclassifies death as homicide; case reopened |
For neighbors and family, the reclassification may raise new questions and reopen old wounds. For investigators, it provides an opening to reexamine physical evidence and seek new witnesses or forensic leads that were not previously available or pursued.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Conroy at the email above. Tips from the public can be made anonymously through established channels if callers prefer not to provide contact information.
This development underscores how shifting forensic interpretations and increased investigative capacity can change the course of long-dormant inquiries. Authorities say they now have the resources to give the case active attention.
