On July 17, 2020, 45-year-old Elmer Edwin Hughes was found dead with two other people in the 2500 block of Northeast 122nd Avenue in Northeast Portland. Hughes and Tashia Heather Cobb were discovered killed outside a residence; a third victim, Lawrence Wayne Murphy, was found killed inside the home. The Portland Police Bureau opened an investigation into what was described as a triple homicide.

An arrest followed on July 18, 2020, when Brett Edward Pruett was taken into custody in connection with the killings. Police records in the case also say Pruett was accused of a separate violent incident on July 14, 2020, in which an adult woman was allegedly injured with a dangerous weapon.

Court proceedings continued through 2023, and a Multnomah County jury returned guilty verdicts against Brett Edward Pruett on multiple counts related to the case. Anyone who knew Elmer Hughes or who has information about the events in mid‑July 2020 is asked to come forward.