‘Dedicated’ taxi driver found fatally stabbed in his cab, OR cops say. Man sentenced

A 30-year-old man is going to prison after being sentenced in the fatal stabbing of a taxi driver last year in Oregon, officials said.

In April, Portland officers arrived at the scene and found a 43-year-old man, later identified as Reese McDowell Lawhon, dead in his cab, according to a Feb. 21 news release by the Multnomah County district attorney’s office.

After getting the camera footage from Radio Cab taxi, officers learned Moses Lopez stabbed Lawhon in the neck, officials said.

McClatchy News reached out to Radio Cab for a statement Feb. 21 and was awaiting a response, but the company described Lawhon as “kind” and “dedicated,” according to KOIN.

“He was a great hugger. He respected people from all walks of life. Reese never lost a friend; he just kept adding them and they never left,” according to Lawhon’s obituary. “Reese quietly walked his own path.”

Medical officials arrived before police and saw Lopez leaving the cab “marked with blood” and dropping brass knuckles with a blade attached, officials said.

Lopez was arrested on the scene after he stayed in the ambulance to be treated for minor injuries, the district attorney said.

Lawhon, who was described as “devoted to his loving and supportive family,” loved “being outdoors” and enjoyed taking pictures of the Northwest, according to his obituary.

Lopez pleaded guilty to manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon, officials said.

He was sentenced to 22 years in prison, the district attorney said.

This story was originally published February 21, 2024 at 2:27 PM with the headline "‘Dedicated’ taxi driver found fatally stabbed in his cab, OR cops say. Man sentenced."