Naman Shrestha
In Investigation Discovery’s ‘See No Evil: The Bloody Shoes,’ the primary focus is on the gruesome killing of a homeless man named James Anthony Wise in February 2022 in Portland, Oregon. The investigators took the help of various residents of the area and the security footage to get to the bottom of the case and catch the perpetrator responsible for the murder. The episode features exclusive and in-depth interviews with the loved ones of the deceased man and the officials linked to the investigation.
James Anthony Wise Endured Mental Struggles and Experienced Homelessness
James Anthony Wise hailed from Oklahoma, where he was raised in a household packed with three siblings. While growing up, he was particularly close to his mother. When he was a teen, he dropped out of school as he felt it didn’t have much to offer him. Nevertheless, the bright individual went on to obtain a GED (General Educational Development) diploma later on. He reportedly spent a few years in California but ultimately moved to Oregon, where he settled down in Portland. He pursued his dream of joining the military and even went through the application process. However, just when he was on the brink of enlisting, everything got derailed owing to some legal issues.
Lovingly referred to as Tony, James’ friends described him as a kindhearted individual. Unfortunately, he was dealt a cruel hand in life. His friends mentioned that he struggled with mental health issues and had been experiencing homelessness for a while. “Because of the lack of help with his mental health issues, he turned to the streets,” a family friend named Jaime Brown told The Oregonian/OregonLive. He was a man of faith and often gave back to the community by serving as a volunteer at shelters. As a way to express gratitude for the kindness bestowed on him, he would dedicate his time handing out blankets or distributing food.
James Wise Was Reunited With Family Only After a Tragedy
On the personal front, James was a married man and a father to either two or three kids. Apart from that, not much is known about his wife and children. Sometime in or around 2018, James’ family reportedly stopped hearing from him. Since then, his mother (a Longview resident) and sister pulled out all stops to locate him or get any idea about his whereabouts. In fact, around 2020, his sister relocated to Old Town Chinatown and began working at a shelter at Hillsboro. Every day, as she helped those experiencing homelessness, she held onto hope that one day, she might come face to face with her beloved brother. In early 2022, the Wise family got a call from the authorities regarding James. While they had been looking forward to a reunion, they had never imagined it would be this heartbreaking.
Around 4:15 am on February 13, 2022, James was attacked near Northwest Third Avenue and Glisan Street, particularly outside a social service organization named Blanchet House. For approximately a year, James had been relying on assistance extended by the organization. In response to a call from a local, the authorities rushed to the scene and found him unconscious. As he had sustained significant injuries, he was swiftly transferred to Legacy Emanuel Hospital, where his mother and sister saw him for the first time in years. Sadly, they couldn’t speak to him as he laid unconscious and was later declared brain dead. James passed away two days later, on February 15, 2022, leaving behind a grieving family and loved ones who cherish his memories and mourn his loss even today.
James Anthony Wise’s Killer Had Committed Another Violent Crime Just an Hour Prior to the Murder
Since James Anthony Wise was found in critical condition right outside the Blanchet House, the authorities interviewed the residents of the nonprofit who might have witnessed the crime. As it turned out, several residents were awakened by the noise of the assault and witnessed it from their windows. One of the residents of the area also told the detectives that he had witnessed a male punching and kicking James, who was down on the ground. As per reports, before the police arrived at the scene, another man checked James’ pockets before covering him with a blanket.
Upon digging deeper, the police realized that there was another case of physical assault just a couple of blocks away from the Blanchet House, about an hour earlier. The victim was found inside his Mercedes’ driver seat with severe trauma to his face while his shirt and lap were covered in blood. Thanks to several witness statements and the CCTV footage of the area, the detectives were directed to the suspect — Elijah Nathaniel Williams. When he attacked James, his shoes were reportedly bloody from the first attack he was allegedly involved in. As they delved into his background, they learned that he had been convicted of first-degree sexual abuse of a 6-year-old boy in 2015, when he was a 15-year-old freshman at Centennial High School.
According to reports, Elijah was released from prison just four months before committing the murder. At the time of the murder, he was on probation and living in transitional housing in downtown Portland. With enough evidence against him, the investigators identified him as a suspect and arrested him on the afternoon of February 19, near Southeast 140th Avenue and Stark Street, for causing the death of 46-year-old James Anthony Wise. Apart from being charged with second-degree murder in connection with the killing of the homeless man, he was also charged with second-degree assault and third-degree assault for the previous attack.
Elijah Nathaniel Williams is Currently Incarcerated at an Oregon Prison Facility
About a year after his arrest, on February 21, 2023, Elijah Nathaniel Williams pleaded guilty to the first-degree manslaughter of James Anthony Wise. Less than a month later, on March 16, his sentencing took place in Multnomah County Circuit Court. By the end, the judge sentenced the 22-year-old killer to 17 years in prison. As of today, 25-year-old Elijah is serving his sentence at Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem, Oregon, with his earliest release date scheduled for June 2039.
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