Stepgrandmother held without bail in killing

OREGON CITY, Ore. – A woman charged with murdering her 4-year-old stepgrandson and dumping his body in the forest along a rural road was ordered held without bail at a brief court appearance Tuesday.

Christine Coffman, 43, was arraigned by closed-circuit TV from her cell at the Clackamas County jail.

Coffman stared ahead without expression as Clackamas County Circuit Judge Ronald Thom read the charge of aggravated murder. She confirmed her name, but did not enter a plea.

In documents filed with the court, Greg Horner, the county’s chief deputy district attorney, said that Coffman “unlawfully and intentionally caused the death of Matal Sanchez, a human being under the age of 14 years.”

After the hearing, Horner said the child’s age led prosecutors to file the aggravated murder charge – which carries a possible death penalty. A grand jury was expected to return a formal indictment on Tuesday. An autopsy by the state medical examiner concluded the child died of one or more blows to the head.

The boy disappeared from his home in the Portland suburb of Milwaukie June 29.

Three days later, Coffman led police to the body in the forest off a rural road near Estacada in the foothills of the Cascade Range, about 25 miles from the boy’s home.

Investigators said Matal disappeared about the same time Coffman left to run an errand, leading police to believe the child was with her. When Coffman returned several hours later, she was alone and her clothes were stained red, according to witnesses.

Police have not provided any details and have declined to say whether the stains were blood.