Oregon man sentenced for stalking, killing husband of his mistress

OREGON CITY, Ore. (TCN) -- A former veterinarian will spend decades behind bars for stalking and killing the husband of a woman he was having an affair with.

The Washington County District Attorney's Office announced Feb. 18 that a judge sentenced Steven Milner to life in prison with parole eligibility after 25 years in connection with the death of Kenneth Fandrich. If granted parole, authorities say the defendant will serve another six years.

Milner, who was a well-known veterinarian, reportedly began an "intimate relationship" with one of his employees at his practice, who was married to Fandrich. Fandrich learned about the affair, causing strife with Milner. Prosecutors said the woman broke off her relationship with Milner, and he "became obsessed with her and began stalking her and the victim."

Milner reportedly installed GPS tracking devices on Fandrich's and his wife's vehicles and snuck onto their property. In March 2022, Fandrich was granted a stalking protective order following years of Milner's harassment. However, the district attorney's office said the stalking protective order did not stop Milner, as he continued to stalk the victim and his wife. He reportedly placed another GPS tracking device on their cars and followed the victim home and to his place of work at Intel Ronler Acres "more than a dozen times."

Clackamas County officials charged Milner, but he continued to stalk the victim while on conditional release.

In October 2022, prosecutors said Milner purchased a vehicle on Craigslist and began discreetly following the victim at Intel Ronler Acres. Two months later, in December 2022, surveillance cameras reportedly captured Milner in the parking structure while wearing a disguise. Milner allegedly spray-painted the security cameras, including areas where Fandrich regularly parked to "test Intel's security response."

According to prosecutors, Milner continued to to show up to the parking structure repeatedly to track the victim's movements as he arrived and left work. In January 2023, the defendant bought another car using a fake name and continued his "covert surveillance" on Fandrich and the parking structure.

On Jan. 27, 2023, Milner used one of his "burner" cars to enter the Intel parking structure while wearing a disguise. There, he reportedly spray-painted the security cameras near Fandrich's vehicle. He then returned with his other "burner" car and parked near the victim's vehicle. At Intel, prosecutors said as Fandrich walked to his car, Milner "ambushed him from behind and executed a chokehold on him." Milner then reportedly tried to stage Fandrich's body to make it appear as though he died of natural causes, but an autopsy later revealed Fandrich sustained injuries to his neck and spine.

Milner argued in court that the victim attacked him, so he "acted in self-defense."

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