Albany, Ore. (Court TV) —What was first reported as a suicide in rural Oregon has turned into a murder case, after startling autopsy findings revealed a bizarre and disturbing detail: an unspent bullet lodged inside the victim’s abdomen.
Jerod Norman appeared before Judge Keith B. Stein last week seeking bond as his defense attorney argued the July 18, 2024, death of 30-year-old Mariah King was a tragic suicide, not murder.
Kenneth Rosgen testifies in a bond hearing for Jerod Norman on Sept. 4, 2025. (Court TV)
Norman’s defense argued King had a documented history of mental health struggles and suicidal ideation, telling the court King had visited a marijuana dispensary hours before her death, where she appeared “intoxicated and paranoid” and told an employee scratches on her neck were from a suicide attempt.
“I tried to stop myself from breathing,” King allegedly told the dispensary worker, according to the defense.
The defense said King’s mother was contacted, and a welfare check was requested. When an officer arrived at the residence, he found Norman outside working on a barbecue. King reportedly told the officer through a shop door that she was fine and asked him to leave.
According to testimony, King locked herself in the shop after the officer departed. Norman later found her suspended with a rope around her neck and immediately called for help while performing CPR with his father, David Norman, until emergency responders arrived.
However, prosecution witnesses painted a different picture during the bond hearing.
Officer Bryce Barreto of the Sweet Home Police Department testified about responding to the scene around 10:50 p.m. He described finding blood evidence in the house, including stains on pillows and towels, and a knife embedded in a mattress in the children’s bedroom.
Kenneth Rosgen, a medical-legal death investigator who examined the scene, told the court the hanging setup was “not consistent with a suicide.”
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“The ligature system, the rope itself, 100 feet, nicely coiled up and underneath the decedent, went up through the wall through a carabiner, nothing to hold tension, the rope would just come down, wouldn’t hold her,” Rosgen said.
Rosgen noted King had “multiple bruises” and “2 large bumps” on her head, along with bruising throughout her body and abrasions on her knuckles. He said the ligature marks on her neck were inconsistent with typical suicide hangings.
The case took a bizarre turn when Rosgen testified about autopsy findings. An X-ray revealed “a complete intact projectile in the abdominal cavity” – an unfired bullet that penetrated King’s vaginal wall. Rosgen opined that it had to have been inserted post-mortem because such an injury would have caused excessive blood-letting, which had not been found at the scene.
Defense attorneys said when Norman was confronted about the bullet during a January 2025 interview, Rosgen said Norman “was mystified by this” and asked if King had ingested it.
The medical examiner listed King’s cause of death as asphyxia by ligature hanging, but the manner of death remains “undetermined.”
Defense attorneys highlighted King’s history of mental health struggles, including previous suicide threats and self-harm. They noted King had threatened to kill herself “in the same workshop where she was found” and had previously taken a gun from Norman while making suicide threats.
Text messages between King and her brother, Jasper Latham, were also noted, showing King making suicide threats earlier that evening. In response, Latham texted: “Only Kim would kill herself for attention.”
The defense emphasized Norman’s emotional response at the scene, with Officer Barreto testifying that Norman was “screaming, crying, wailing” after King’s death was confirmed.
Judge Stein scheduled the trial to begin January 5, 2026, and set an October 7 deadline for witness lists. The court is also addressing discovery issues, including potentially lost police body camera footage that defense attorneys say contains exculpatory evidence.
The judge has set November 6 to hear more testimony to determine whether Norman should be released on bond or remain in custody as the case moves toward trial.
This story was reported by Grace Wong and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
