Woman Charged with Murder after Throwing 6-Year-Old Son Off Yaquina Bay Bridge
Jillian McCabe called 9-1-1 at 6:25 p.m. on Nov. 3 to report she had thrown her 6-year-old son from the bridge. The boy’s body was recovered four hours later after an intense land, water and air search. McCabe has been charged with aggravated murder, murder and first degree manslaughter. (Photo by Larry Coonrod)By Larry Coonrod
Newport—Police charged a 34-year-old Seal Rock woman with murder after she confessed to throwing her 6-year-old autistic son off the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport Monday night.
Emergency dispatchers received a call from Jillian Meredith McCabe at 6:25 p.m. on Nov. 3 saying she had thrown her son, London McCabe from the bridge. Newport police and Lincoln County Sheriff deputies and the Newport Fire Department responded to the scene and began a search for the boy.
A U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter from the Newport airport arrived on the scene within minutes to assist in the search.
Police located Jillian McCabe near the bridge and took her into custody for questioning. Newport Police Chief Mark Miranda reported that during the search effort, McCabe had been cooperative with detectives.
U.S. Coast motor lifeboats from Station Yaquina Bay and Lincoln County Sheriff marine patrol deputies joined the water search for London McCabe. A buoy dropped from the bridge on the incoming tide led rescuers to concentrate their search upriver at Idaho Point, near the large LNG tank.
Searchers knew from the outset that the 130-foot drop from the bridge and the chilly waters of the bay meant they were on a recovery mission. Volunteers with the Lincoln County Search and Rescue grimly set out in the dark and driving rain to scour the north and south shorelines for London McCabe.
“I don’t want him to be out here all night,” said Lincoln County Emergency Jenny Demaris as she and partner Kerry Delisser-Shanks probed the water near Hatfield Marine Science Center with flashlights.
A call was received at 10:23 p.m. of body spotted in the water at the Embarcadero Resort on the north side of the bay. Responding officers identified the body as London McCabe.
Detectives subsequently arrested Jillian McCabe for aggravated murder, murder, and 1st degree manslaughter. She was booked into the Lincoln County jail with bail set at $750,000.
“It’s one of these things that you don’t want to happen in a community,” Miranda said when announcing the young victim had been found deceased. “Unfortunately, sometimes it does and you just have to rely on each other for support.”
Newport Police officers were assisted by the Lincoln County Major Crime Team which is made up of members from the Lincoln County Sheriff ’s Office, Lincoln City Police, Toledo Police, Oregon State Police and the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office.
The Yaquina Bay Bridge was closed to all traffic for about an hour during the incident
This investigation is continuing. Anybody who may have seen something while crossing the Yaquina Bay Bridge is asked to call Detective Mitch France at 541 - 574-3348.
Contact Reporter Larry Coonrod by emailing editor@lincolncountydispatch.com
