ONTARIO – A Payette man gunned down outside Ontario two weeks ago was trying to collect a $500 debt after warning that “he kills people for hire,” according to a police affidavit obtained by the Malheur Enterprise.
Doug Madrid, 54, died in a driveway in rural Ontario northeast of Interstate 84 when he was shot once with a shotgun.
Witnesses told police the murder, which took place the evening of Wednesday, May 9, was planned, according to the affidavit.
Four people were subsequently indicted in Malheur County Circuit Court for murder, conspiracy, hindering prosecution, unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a destructive device. They are Sara R. Carter, 25, of Vale; Sean C. Prokop, 29, and Ryan S. Macias, 24, of Ontario; and Matthew T. Jaggi, 24, of Parma. Madrid, who once lived in Nyssa, was convicted in Payette County in 2003 for possession of a controlled substance and in Canyon County for aggravated battery. In 2012, he was convicted in Payette County for illegal possession of a controlled substance and served two years in Idaho prison, according to the Idaho Department of Correction.
The police affidavit contained statements indicating Madrid’s murder stemmed from a dispute with Macias. Macias told police he was kidnapped by Madrid about two months ago, though the affidavit provides no details.
“Doug took Macias to his residence in Payette and made him watch videos of Doug killing different people,” the affidavit said. “Doug showed Macias the videos to reinforce the point if Macias did not do as Doug wished, he would kill Macias’ daughter and family. Macias stated Doug was saying he kills people for hire.”
One witness told police that the day before the murder Macias and Prokop were talking about killing Doug Madrid and about getting a shotgun, the affidavit said.
Macias told police he agreed to meet Madrid the night of May 9, and that he owed the man $500. Macias said he had collected only $250 toward the debt, according to the affidavit.
He said he asked to borrow a short-barreled .20-gauge shotgun for protection.
The affidavit by Ontario police officer Ben Esplin recounted a later police interview with Prokop’s mother, who said her son lived in a motorhome parked next door. She told police that Prokop and Carter left that Wednesday evening.
“Sean had a shotgun in his hand that (she) described as being a short-barreled shotgun that was dark in color,” Esplin wrote. “Sean told (her) that ‘something is going down.’”
A witness said two pickup trucks parked in her driveway in the 4000 block of Oregon Highway 201 at about 8:15 p.m. The witness said there were four people in one pickup truck and that she told all of them to leave.
Macias said he was driving one of the pickups and that Prokop got out to give Madrid the $250, which he said Madrid refused to take. Instead, Madrid wanted Macias and Prokop to go behind a shop building in the area but Macias wouldn’t, the affidavit said.
“He was afraid Doug was going to kill them,” Macias said.
Macias said he thought Madrid was reaching in his pocket for a gun when he heard a shot that was “very loud” and came from the back seat of the pickup truck, the affidavit said.
Another witness told police that she “heard a loud boom and out of the corner of her eye saw Doug partially lifted up from the ground and fall. The passenger (right front) who had been arguing with Doug was just then getting back into the gray pickup, which left,” according to the police affidavit.
The witness went to Madrid “but felt he was dead so she didn’t attempt any lifesaving methods.”
Macias said he drove away in hurry and “he was in fear the following vehicle was trying to harm them,” according to the affidavit.
Shortly after midnight, Prokop and Carter showed up at the home of an Oregon State Police officer, knocking on his door and asking to use the phone. Law enforcement officials said the officer didn’t know the pair and called Ontario police. Carter identified herself to the officer as Angela Williams and said she wanted to call her aunt.
When Ontario police arrived and an officer recognized Carter. The affidavit doesn’t describe what police did while at the home, but Prokop and Carter soon arrived by foot back at Prokop’s motorhome, according to his mother.
Soon, Macias drove up in a pickup truck, according to the affidavit.
Police later that day searched the motorhome but didn’t find the shotgun.
Les Zaitz: [email protected], 541-473-3377.