The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

A major manhunt in Sisters on Sunday evening, May 26, ended with the arrest of a man suspected of the murder of a Sweet Home man and the wounding of another last Friday.

Chief Jeff Lynn of the Sweet Home Police Department confirmed that the suspect taken into custody in Sisters is Page Lee Butterfield, age 25. He said that Butterfield “has local ties to our area,” but as of Monday the department had not confirmed is current residence.

Sweet Home Police reported that on Friday, May 24, at approximately 2:32 a.m., the department received a report that two subjects had been shot on the 500 block of Surrey Lane in Sweet Home, Linn County.

Sweet Home Police Officers and Linn County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene and located two male victims on the property. One male subject was pronounced dead at the scene and the other male was transported to the hospital. The dead man was identified as Corey A. Burdick, 43, from Sweet Home.

Ervin Larry Smith, 65, from Sweet Home, was also the victim of a gunshot wound and was transported to the hospital. The incident occurred in and around a travel trailer occupied by Ervin Smith on the property of 541 Surrey Lane in Sweet Home, Oregon.

“We believe there was a disagreement, a dispute, that turned physical at the location where the incident happened,” Chief Lynn told The Nugget.

Butterfield fled the area.

“We sent out an attempt to locate basically statewide, listing Butterfield as a suspect as well as the vehicle he was in that had been reported stolen,” Chief Lynn said.

An Oregon State Police Trooper apparently spotted Butterfield in a development Chief Lynn described as “absolutely fantastic.” A manhunt ensued in the area of Ray’s Food Place and McDonald's, involving a large number of law enforcement personnel and vehicles. Butterfield was eventually taken into custody by Oregon State Police.

Chief Lynn said on Monday that, since his detectives arrived back in Sweet Home in the wee hours of Monday morning, he had yet to be briefed fully on the full circumstances of Butterfield’s arrest.

“I do know that he’s in custody; he’s in our facility, pending transfer to Linn County Jail,” Chief Lynn said.

Butterfield is currently facing charges of murder and attempted murder and additional charges are likely.

“It’s still an ongoing investigation — a lot of work to do,” Chief Lynn said.