Suvechha Sarkar
Kenneth Carl Fandrich, lovingly known as Kenny, was a compassionate individual and a dutiful husband. However, his beautiful life came to an abrupt halt in January 2023 when he was killed in Hillsboro, Oregon. His untimely demise not only sent shockwaves through the community but also left his loved ones grief-stricken. CBS’ ’48 Hours: Murder in the Parking Garage’ delves deeper into the case and pieces together the circumstances surrounding the crime. It also carefully examines the evidence and features interviews with the officials who helped in the pursuit of justice.
Kenneth Fandrich’s Remains Were Found in His Car at a Parking Garage
Judy and Frank Fandrich welcomed their son, Kenneth Carl Fandrich, into the world sometime in 1967. He was lovingly known as Kenny and grew up in a happy household alongside his brothers, Lance and Richard. Growing up, he was also a favorite grandkid of his grandparents, Ruby and Fred Fandrich, and Vernita and Harold Gilmore. He was known among his loved ones for his humor and kind nature. Kenneth graduated from Estacada High School in Estacada, Oregon, and then moved to Alaska, where he stepped into the professional world. There, Kenneth engaged in commercial fishing on the Bering Sea and subsequently established his own underwater welding venture.
During that time, Kenneth crossed paths with Tanya, and they soon tied the knot around 1993. Following that, they relocated to Oregon, where he established another successful business. He was self-employed for several years before joining the local union. Kenneth was also a person who loved the outdoors and often engaged in activities such as hunting, skiing, and snowboarding. He had built a happy and fulfilling life with his wife and furry pups and was working as a contract Pipe Fitter. However, Kenneth’s life turned upside down on January 27, 2023. On that Friday night, Tanya grew concerned when he reportedly stopped returning her calls, which prompted her to call 911.
Reports state that Tanya then used Find My iPhone to track his location at a parking garage of the Intel campus in Hillsboro, Oregon, and assisted officials in reaching the scene. When they arrived, they found Kenneth deceased in the driver’s seat of his car. Detectives noticed that his phone was kept on the passenger’s seat and his hands were on his lap. It indicated that the killer might have tried to make it look like the 56-year-old had passed away from natural causes. They also discovered that the CCTV cameras surrounding his parked vehicle had been spray-painted, which investigators deduced was an attempt to conceal the crime. The autopsy revealed that he had injuries to his neck and spine, and determined the cause of death to be blunt compression trauma to the neck.
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A Long History of Stalking Exposed the Killer of Kenneth Fandrich
Officials initially checked the CCTV footage around Kenneth’s parked vehicle. It captured a man disguised with a hard hat, mask, sunglasses, and gloves as he spray-painted the camera. That action did not just happen on January 27 but also reportedly on the days leading up to the murder. The man was seen departing in a car after spray-painting and later arrived in a maroon minivan, which he parked near Kenneth’s vehicle. Investigators then questioned Tanya, who reportedly informed them that Kenneth had a stalker, Steven Neil Milner, a retired veterinarian. She admitted that she and Steven had an affair when she worked as his employee, but claimed that when Kenneth found out about the affair, she ended it. Police records state that Tanya told them that Steven was stalking her and her husband.
Upon further investigation, detectives discovered that Steven had reportedly previously planted GPS tracking devices on Kenneth and Tanya’s vehicles. Hence, in March 2022, Kenneth was granted a Stalking Protective Order (SPO) against him. Despite that, home surveillance footage captured Steven sneaking onto their property, and he continued to stalk them. Hence, he was criminally charged and was released conditionally, following which he reportedly continued following Kenneth. In October 2022, Steven bought a vehicle and used it to follow Kenneth to his workplace. According to reports, Kenneth also purchased the maroon minivan in early January 2023 under a false name. Further CCTV footage from the Intel garage revealed that he often used the minivan to track when Kenneth arrived and left work.
Both of Steven’s cars were captured on a surveillance video from a Home Depot parking lot, and the minivan was reportedly seen leaving shortly before Kenneth’s murder. Unfortunately, detectives discovered that the car had been towed from the I-5 highway in North Portland and subsequently sold to a scrapyard in the same area. Hence, experts were unable to collect any evidence from the vehicle. Based on all the evidence, Steven was arrested on January 31, 2023. He was charged with one count each of second-degree murder and stalking, and seven counts of violating a court’s SPO. The jury trial of Steven began in January 2025, and he was ultimately found guilty of all charges on January 22, 2025. He was sentenced to life in prison on February 18, 2025, with the possibility of parole after 25 years. However, the sentence also included an additional 6-year term for violating the SPO, which he needs to serve first if his parole is granted.
