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Day 832: Very unfortunate news
Jun. 28th, 2022 11:52 pmToday we got a work email with the header, "News about Ed Lichtenstein." Ed is one of ORI's most senior scientists, emeritus now, and one of the first people to research how to help people quit smoking. He's been a mentor to many, especially me, because my two NIH grants were on the topic of social support when quitting tobacco, and he was one of the earliest pioneers in that area too. After he retired, he still came to the office regularly for years, but then he and his wife decided they wanted to live in a retirement community in Portland, so they moved away.
Before I go further, I'll reassure you that Ed is now basically okay. However, it was a close call. A few days ago, he and his wife and a friend were near the Portland State campus, waiting for a bus home, around 8:30 pm - still daylight, even. A homeless man with ongoing mental illness issues and outstanding arrest warrants took exception to their age - Ed is 88 and his friend is 83 - and decided to kill them for it. So he assaulted them.
Miraculously, a police car investigating something unrelated came across this crime in progress. Ed was hospitalized for two days and is home now; his friend was in critical condition but may be improving too.
It was in the Portland news, here: https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/06/man-charged-with-assault-bias-crimes-after-unprovoked-attack-on-2-men-in-downtown-portland.html
Sickening and horrific. I hope they put the guy away for a long time. It's hard to think of a more gentle man than Ed, and... 88 years old! Ugh.
Before I go further, I'll reassure you that Ed is now basically okay. However, it was a close call. A few days ago, he and his wife and a friend were near the Portland State campus, waiting for a bus home, around 8:30 pm - still daylight, even. A homeless man with ongoing mental illness issues and outstanding arrest warrants took exception to their age - Ed is 88 and his friend is 83 - and decided to kill them for it. So he assaulted them.
Miraculously, a police car investigating something unrelated came across this crime in progress. Ed was hospitalized for two days and is home now; his friend was in critical condition but may be improving too.
It was in the Portland news, here: https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/06/man-charged-with-assault-bias-crimes-after-unprovoked-attack-on-2-men-in-downtown-portland.html
Sickening and horrific. I hope they put the guy away for a long time. It's hard to think of a more gentle man than Ed, and... 88 years old! Ugh.