Holt
CRESWELL — A man charged with murdering his grandmother in April 2019 was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on March 8.
Sally Baldwin, 87, of Creswell died 17 days after being brutally beaten and robbed by her grandson, James Lynn Holt, 47, of Eugene.
On Friday, April 5, 2019, first responders responded to an incident call and found Baldwin’s door kicked in, her lying in the house severely beaten and her personal belongings strewn about. Baldwin was placed in a 24-hour care facility as a result of the grisly assault, where relatives relayed on crowdsourcing sites that she needed facial and mouth reconstructive surgery.
While Baldwin was receiving medical attention, police arrested Holt on an unrelated warrant four days after the attack. The warrant was issued a couple of months prior for violating his probation, including leaving the state without permission, failing to report to community corrections and for changing employment or residency without permission, according to court records.
But on Easter Sunday, 17 days after the attack, Baldwin died as a result of her injuries. Lane County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the manner of death to be homicide, caused by complications of immobilization due to multiple blunt-force injuries from the assault.
After her death, Holt was charged with first-degree murder, in addition to first-degree burglary and first-degree robbery for the attack on his grandmother. Holt has remained in custody awaiting trial ever since.
Holt has a history of domestic abuse. In May 2011, Holt damaged Sarah Elizabeth Fitzer’s windshield and her computer, attempted to strike fear into her and caused physical injury, according to Holt’s court records.
Holt was convicted in 2011 of menacing: constituting domestic violence; fourth-degree assault: constituting domestic violence; and third-degree criminal mischief. He was sentenced to 38 months probation.
Then, in April 2017, Holt unlawfully entered the home of Richard Holt, his father, on Bear Mountain Road. According to court records, after several years without contact, Holt made “odd statements” to his father, forced entry into the house, shoved his father around and hindered his father from making a report with law enforcement.
He was convicted in 2017 of fourth-degree assault: constituting domestic violence; first-degree criminal trespass; and interfering with making a report. He was sentenced to six months incarceration, according to court records.
On Dec. 20, 2021, Holt pleaded guilty to first-degree murder of his grandmother, and on Monday was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
