Murder charges dropped in SE Portland stabbing after grand jury rules case of self-defense

A grand jury determined Friday that a 52-year-old man acted in self defense when he stabbed and killed another man earlier this month.

Stephen Bache, 52, was arrested and initially charged with second-degree murder July 8 after the stabbing in Southeast Portland. Prosecutors said they filed a motion Friday for Bache’s release based on the grand jury finding

Portland police said officers responded to reports of a stabbing on Southeast Water Avenue between Madison and Main streets the afternoon of July 8. They arrived and found one person with stab wounds, officers said.

That person, Cody Nicholas Vickers, 32, died at a local hospital, according to police. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office determined Vickers died of homicidal violence.

Police have not said whether the two men knew one another or disclosed any other details about what happened and court documents do not explain any other details about their connection. The district attorney’s office also said it would not release any additional information.