A Stayton man with a history of mental illness has pleaded not guilty to murder after allegedly stabbing another man to death in September.
Skylair James Gendhar, 30, pleaded not guilty Sept. 24 in Marion County Circuit Court to second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon for the Sept. 13 death of Curtis Nathan Longfellow, 55, of Stayton.
As of press time Gendhar was held in the Marion County Jail without bail.He was arrested Sept. 14 for an incident the day before on the 1200 block of W. Locust Street, in Stayton. According to the Stayton Police Department, 911 received a call that afternoon of a man requiring medical attention. First responders found Longfellow deceased.
Longfellow’s obituary described him as a carpenter and tattoo artist who leaves behind a wife and three step-children.
An indictment filed Sept. 23 said Longfellow was killed with “a sharp object.” It did not go into further detail.
The indictment classified the murder as “second-degree,” which under Oregon law indicates the suspect was allegedly under “extreme emotional disturbance”.
According to court records, Gendhar has a criminal history in Oregon dating back to 2015 with 10 convictions ranging from disorderly conduct and trespassing to vandalism and assault of a public safety officer. He also has a history of undergoing court-ordered mental health treatment.
On Jan. 5, 2021, Gendhar was charged in Marion County with assaulting two police officers who were serving a search warrant for a probation violation. Gendhar had been sentenced the year before to three years of probation after pleading guilty to assaulting a man and sexually harassing a woman in 2019, and did not report as directed.
On Jan. 26, 2021, the court ordered Gendhar to undergo a mental fitness evaluation. An evaluation was performed on June 1, 2021, and Gendhar was found mentally unfit to aid in his own defense.He entered the care of the Oregon State Hospital.
On Jan. 12, 2022, the court determined Gendhar’s fitness had been restored and the case could proceed. The court determined Gendhar was a candidate for Marion County Mental Health Court, which prioritizes treatment as a part of sentencing. He entered a plea agreement Jan. 13, 2022, and after waiting for space to open in the program Gendhar entered Mental Health Court July 1, 2022.
As a condition of the program, Gendhar pleaded guilty to assault of a public safety officer for the 2021 incident and was sentenced to 18 months of probation. Gendhar agreed to abide by the terms of his probation and Mental Health Court or face 30 months in prison if probation was revoked.
One week later on July 7, 2022, prosecutors filed a motion to revoke probation after Gendhar was arrested the day before for spitting at two police officers. On Aug. 10, 2022, a judge granted the motion and sentenced Gendhar to 30 months in prison. An additional 10 months was added Sept. 15, 2022, after he pleaded no contest to aggravated harassment for spitting at officers.
According to the Oregon Department of Corrections, Gendhar was released from prison on March 29, 2024.
