JUNCTION CITY MAN CHARGED WITH SECOND DEGREE MURDER

Junction City Police

At about 5:19 PM on Sunday, April 10th, 2022, Junction City Police Dispatch received a call of a deceased subject at 303 Laurel St in Junction City, Oregon.  Based upon their observations, the caller believed the death was caused by violent means.  The caller stated they were uncertain whether the assailant(s) was/were still present in the house.  Officers arrived on scene about four minutes later, at 5:23 PM, and after clearing the house to make sure no threats were present, found 56-year-old Gerald Marino Rodriguez Jr. deceased.

The Junction City Police Department immediately began investigating the incident.  The Oregon State Police Forensics Services Division assisted with the processing of the crime scene; the University of Oregon Police Department provided support securing the perimeter of the home.  Subsequent investigation revealed 24-year-old Boone Franklin Morris had caused the death of Rodriguez.  Morris is the biological son of Rodriguez’s girlfriend.  All three individuals resided together in the same home along with Morris’s girlfriend and his younger biological sister.

Morris was lodged early in the evening on Monday, April 11th, 2023, at the Lane County Adult Correction Center (LCAC) on the charge of Murder in the second degree.  This is an extensive and complex investigation; anyone with knowledge of and/or information on this crime is requested to call the Junction City Police Department at 541-998-1245.

Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the Rodriguez and Morris families for this tragic event.   We also want to extend our deepest appreciation to the University of Oregon Police Department, the Oregon State Police Forensic Division, and the Lane County District Attorney’s office for their excellent and rapid assistance with this case.