A Deschutes County jury found 41-year-old Samson Garner guilty Thursday of 26 counts, including attempted murder, assault and attempted unlawful use of a weapon after a foiled mass shooting plot.

The conviction comes after a three-week trial where jurors heard from Garner’s ex-girlfriend, his ex-wife and Garner himself. The jury deliberated for just over two hours.

During the trial, Garner said he drove up to the mountains near Mount Hood to kill himself in 2023, but stopped because he didn’t want the shadow of his death to fall on his twin daughters. He testified that he wanted to “get my life back on track and get out of this slump.”

Prior to a trip to Deschutes County that ended in his arrest, Garner had sent an email to ex-girlfriend Penny Gneiting, saying he was going to kill himself before he hurt anyone else. He also wrote about detailed visions of committing mass killings at Mt. Hood Meadows resort on opening day of ski season and the Smith Rock Craggin Classic event.

After considering the evidence, the jury found Garner guilty.

Garner sat still with no reaction while Judge Alison Emerson read out 26 guilty verdicts. After the verdicts were entered into the record, Garner was led out of the courtroom.

Garner was arrested at the Matson trailhead on Oct. 19, 2023, after finishing a mountain bike ride about 20 miles south of Smith Rock State Park. Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputies found an AR-15 and two handguns in his car with ammunition and a tactical vest that was outfitted with bullets.

Garner testified he was regaining control of his life after an alcohol-fueled depressive episode and an acrimonious divorce, though he admitted writing an email that detailed a vision he had of shooting and killing climbers at the Central Oregon climbing event. But prosecutors argued his actions in the two-and-a-half weeks after writing that email, which Garner called a suicide note, weren’t those of someone regaining control after nearly ending their life.

Prosecutor Stacy Neil pointed out that in the days between sending his email and Oct 19., Garner continued drinking and he didn’t reach out to friends or his children.

Mary Anderson, Deschutes County chief deputy district attorney, joined Neil in arguing that Garner intended to commit a mass shooting and took substantial steps to do so, including bringing what she described as a rapid-fire weapons system.

During closing statements on Thursday, Neil began by reading the entirety of the email Garner wrote. She said she wanted to present to the jury “the Samson Garner of 2023” and “not the curated version,” she said.

In October 2023, the month Garner was arrested, he made two trips to Central Oregon. His second trip set off alarms for the Portland Police Bureau, who had been surveilling him for days since they received reports from former friends about alarming text messages and emails Garner had authored.

Garner sent text messages to former friends Ben Larson and Mike Raff detailing violent acts. But when he sent an email to his ex-girlfriend, Gneiting, she reported him and forwarded his email to the police. Larson had also contacted the police.

After surveilling Garner for several days, Portland police noticed he had left his house on the weekend of the climbing event and alerted Deschutes County sheriffs, who arrested him shortly after.

While speaking before the jury this month, Garner said his actions came after a bitter divorce. Dissolution of marriage documents obtained by OPB in 2023 showed that divorce came after Garner took his then-wife’s passport and identification cards before she flew to Michigan for a family trip. He also changed the locks before she returned with their twin daughters. They eventually returned to Michigan permanently.

Garner’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 2.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/09/11/portland-samson-garner-central-shooting-climbig-smoth-rock-deschutes/