Christopher Charles Lovrien was arrested on May 4, 2020 and charged in the July 6, 1999 murder of 42-year-old Mark Dribin in Portland, Oregon. Driben was reported missing after failing to show up for his job at the Portland International Airport. Lovrien is thought to have been in a relationship with Dribin at the time of the murder. Dribin’s body has never been found. Investigators found a substantial amount of blood in Dribin’s home, which someone had attempted to clean up.
There is no data on who conducted the FGG investigation in this case.
Lovrien has been indicted for second-degree murder, and the case against him is pending in Multnomah County.
When police were searching Lovrien’s home on May 19, 2020, they came across the dismembered remains of Kenneth Griffin, a homeless man who had gone missing in February of 2020, in a shed on the property. Griffin was last seen alive on February 1, 2020 and was reported missing the next day. Police are seeking information about a homeless encampment under the bridge on Interstate 205 in Southest Portland.
On March 10, 2021, Lovrien was charged with second-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in connection with Griffin’s murder. This was after police initially interviewed Lovrien in connection with Dribin’s murder.
Investigators also confirmed that the two men were strangers to Lovrien. Previously, there had been a suggestion that Dribin and Lovrien were in a relationship. Police continue to investigate whether there are further victims.
Sources:
Bernstein, Maxine. “Portland Police Make Arrest in 21-Year-Old Homicide Through Forensic Genealogy Analysis of DNA Evidence.” The Oregonian, May 4, 2020. Accessed December 26, 2020. https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/05/portland-police-make-arrest-in-20-year-old-homicide-through-forensic-genealogy-analysis-of-dna-evidence.html.
Flaccus, Gillian. “Oregon Man Charged in 2 Killings that Took Place 2 Decades Apart.” KATU News 2, March 11, 2021. Accessed December 29, 2021. https://katu.com/news/local/oregon-man-christopher-lovrien-charged-in-2-killings-that-took-place-2-decades-apart.
Keller, Aaron. “Police Say they Interviewed an Oregon Man in a 1999 Cold Case Murder – Then He Killed Again.” Law & Crime, March 12, 2021. Accessed December 31, 2021. https://lawandcrime.com/crime/police-say-they-interviewed-an-oregon-man-in-a-1999-cold-case-murder-then-he-killed-again/.
Portland Police Bureau. “PPB Cold Case Homicide Detectives Identify Suspect in 20-Year-Old Homicide with Forensic Genealogy-Arrest Made (Photo).” Portland Oregon.gov (Press Realease), May 4, 2020. Accessed December 26, 2020. https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/news/read.cfm?id=250743.
Weil, Audrey. “Portland Police Investigate the Home of Recently Arrested Suspect in a Decades-Old Murder.” Fox 12 News, May 21, 2020. Accessed December 26, 2020. https://www.kptv.com/news/portland-police-investigate-the-home-of-recently-arrested-suspect-in-a-decades-old-murder/article_f57d9172-9b56-11ea-b653-7fd81694e792.html.