On December 10, 2021, a Lincoln County jury found 52 year old Christopher Paschall guilty of Manslaughter in the First Degree, Manslaughter in the Second Degree, DUII, and Reckless Driving. On June 26, 2020, Paschall got behind the wheel of his FJ Cruiser with a blood alcohol content that was more than twice the legal limit (0.20). Paschall's 20 year old son was in the passenger seat when Paschall drove 20 miles over the speed limit, left the roadway, and crashed into a tree, killing his son. Paschall had been arrested for DUII two times prior to this crash.
When Paschall was booked in the Lincoln County Jail on the charges (months after the crash), he asked a jail deputy, "Do you get this often? People coming here and getting shit faced drunk and getting in a car accident where someone dies?" Paschall then laughed. On December 20th 2021 presiding Judge Sheryl Bachart sentenced Paschall to the maximum sentence allowed under the law: 130 months prison, over 10-years plus 3 years of post prison supervision, and a lifetime suspension of his driver's license. This case was investigated by the Oregon State Police and prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Lynn Howard.
