HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 22, 2024, a Washington County jury found Daniel Ryan Gore, age 18, guilty of murder in the first degree, rape in the first degree, and sexual abuse in the first degree following a two-week trial. Senior Deputy District Attorneys John Gerhard and Andy Pulver prosecuted the defendant before Judge Ricardo Menchaca.
On May 8, 2022, the defendant raped and murdered the victim in this case, Milana Li. Milana was just 13 years old at the time of her death.
SDDA Pulver told the jury that the defendant was a wolf in sheep’s clothing as he lured Milana into a false sense of security before he brutally raped and killed her in a wooded area of Beaverton near where the defendant was living out of a tent. Prosecutors used surveillance footage and cell phone tracking data to prove Milana was last seen alive with the defendant around 7:45 p.m. the night of her murder.
The victim was reported missing by her mother the next afternoon when she returned home after working the night shift. She expected Milana to be home but couldn’t locate her. She assumed Milana went to school early but grew increasingly concerned after she confirmed the teenager was not at school.
News of Milana’s disappearance spread quickly throughout the community. Milana’s friend decided to look for her in a wooded area she was known to visit from time to time. The friend and her mother went to the area, found clothing and shoes belonging to Milana, and called the police.
Investigators searched the area and quickly found Milana’s body half-submerged under a weighted-down blanket in a creek. Packaging straps linked to the blanket were found in Mr. Gore’s tent near Progress Ridge. Investigators also later linked DNA evidence found inside the victim to that of the defendant.
Investigators quickly identified Mr. Gore as a person of interest. When police tried to approach him in a Beaverton library two days later, he ran out of the building via an emergency exit. He was located and arrested a short time later. Investigators learned the defendant called his then-girlfriend after the murder and told her something bad happened but that he, “took care of it.”
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office sends condolences to Milana’s family, friends, and loved ones. This office also acknowledges the work of Detective Cindy Herring, the Beaverton Police Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office – Forensic Sciences Unit, and the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory on this case.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 2, 2024, at 1:30.
