A Hermiston man who committed murder in 2003 died Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem.
Reyes Benitez Mendoza was 49. The Oregon Department of Corrections reported his death Dec. 19.
Mendoza in 2003 lived at Sunshine Court Apartments in Hermiston when he shot and killed Jose Luis Resendez, a local transient, at the apartment complex, according to East Oregonian reporting at the time. Resendez was 35 and had been a tenant at the apartments until being evicted for not paying rent.
Mendoza in 2006 pleaded guilty to murdering Resendez. Mendoza entered the DOC custody on April 5, 2006, with no anticipated release date. The corrections department also reported it notified his relatives.
