Naman Shrestha
When a 56-year-old Intel employee named Kenneth Fandrich was found dead inside his vehicle under mysterious circumstances, the entire community of Oregon City, Oregon, was shocked to its core. Meanwhile, grief took over his family and friends. CBS’ ’48 Hours: Murder in the Parking Garage’ chronicles the events that led to the horrific murder and all the intricate details of the investigation that ensued. As the detectives dug deeper into the crime, they uncovered the killer’s attempt to tamper with the security cameras around the crime scene before committing murder.
Kenneth Fandrich Was Found Dead in His Car After Leaving His Workplace
Born in the 1960s to Judy and Frank Fandrich, Kenneth Carl Fandrich grew up alongside his two brothers, Lance and Richard Fandrich, with whom he seemingly shared a close-knit bond. After graduating from Estacada High School, he completed his higher studies before relocating to Alaska. After gaining experience in commercial fishing on the Bering Sea, he established an underwater welding company, which turned out to be a successful venture. In her 20s, he crossed paths with the love of his life, Tanya, and got married around the age of 26.
The couple moved to Oregon to start afresh and begin the next chapter of their lives. Kenneth owned and operated yet another successful business, after which he secured a job at Intel Gordon Moore Park in Ronler Acres in Hillsboro, Oregon, as a contractor. When he wasn’t working, he indulged in his hobbies, which included various outdoor activities such as hunting, skiing, snow machining, fishing, four-wheeling, and snowboarding. In his free time, he also enjoyed the company of his family, friends, and fur babies in his backyard. Known for his kind and compassionate nature, Kenneth had the ability to light up even the dullest of rooms with his mere presence.
His life came to an abrupt end on the evening of January 27, 2023, as he was leaving work to return home to his wife. When he didn’t make it home that evening and couldn’t be reached, the authorities were notified. When the police visited his office’s parking lot, Kenneth was found dead inside his vehicle. Although it seemed to be an unsuspicious death at first, the autopsy revealed that he had injuries on his neck and spine, indicating that he was choked to death. Without wasting any time, the detectives launched a homicide investigation.
Kenneth Fandrich Was Stalked by the Killer For Months
The authorities did a deep dive into the personal and professional life of Kenneth Fandrich in order to get a clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding his sudden murder. That’s when they learned about the extramarital affair that his wife, Tanya, was involved in with a licensed veterinarian named Steven Milner in Oregon City. When Kenneth found out about her infidelity, he confronted her, after which she severed ties with the vet. However, by then, Steven became obsessed with her and reportedly began stalking her and Kenneth. The vet attached multiple GPS tracking devices to the couple’s cars and even sneaked onto their property. Concerned about their safety, Kenneth filed a complaint against him and was granted a stalking protective order (SPO) against Steven in March 2022.
Even that didn’t stop him, as he attached a GPS tracking device to Kenneth’s vehicle again and stalked him to his Oregon City home and office at Intel Ronler Acres in Hillsboro on several occasions. A few months later, in October, he purchased an additional car on Craigslist to continue stalking the contractor to his workplace. On December 13, 2022, the veterinarian followed him to the parking lot of his office, where he spray-painted about a dozen security cameras while wearing a disguise. After learning Kenneth’s patterns and testing Intel’s security responses, he bought another burner vehicle in early January 2023 and used it to stalk him for a few more weeks.
On the fateful day of January 27, 2023, Steven disguised himself and drove into the parking lot of Kenneth’s Intel office. Once he had walked into his office, the vet spray-painted all the security cameras covering the area where Tanya’s husband’s car was parked. After leaving the scene, he returned in his second vehicle, which he parked right next to Kenneth’s car. When the Intel employee got to his car after getting off from work, Steven ambushed him from behind and put him in a chokehold until he passed away. In order to cover his crime, he then placed his remains and belongings in his car and staged it as if he had died of natural causes. Thanks to some intense investigation, the authorities were able to collect enough evidence against the suspect and arrest Steven Milner for killing Kenneth Frandrich on January 31, 2023.
Steven Milner is Serving His Sentence at an Oregon Prison Facility Today
Less than a couple of years later, in January 2025, Steven Milner stood trial for the murder of Kenneth Frandrich. At the trial, the defendant took the stand and testified in his own defense, claiming that Kenneth had attacked him first and that he was forced to defend himself. However, the jury eventually rejected his claims. Finally, on January 22, Steven was found guilty of second-degree murder, stalking, and violating a court’s stalking protective order. On February 18, he was sentenced to life in prison with the option of parole after serving 25 years behind bars. However, in case he is granted parole in the future, he would have to serve the additional six years that he received for the violation of his stalking order. Currently, he is incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, Oregon.
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