Trapped In The System: Bringing The Killer of Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter To Justice

by Rosemary Reynolds

A troubled 21-year-old turned Columbia County, Oregon upside down within 14 minutes.
January 5,2011 was about to be the last day of Ralph Painter’s life. There was no way the
laid-back fun-loving Rainier Police Chief could have foreseen what was about to happen. What
seemed like an average police call, to a man attempting to steal a car, turned into a gut-
wrenching event. It's one that paralyzed a small Oregon town, and garnered nationwide attention.
Author Rosemary Reynolds looks deep into the investigation and the evolution of one of
Oregon’s longest untried court cases. This true-crime story is an indictment of the societal issues
of the time. Complicated family dynamics, mental illness, drugs, an overwhelmed court system and
a sub-par state hospital keeps all the players Trapped In The System.

Why was this case tied up in the Justice System for such a long time?
Find out who was truly victimized through the years of waiting and wondering.

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2025

Reviews

[Phillip George · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read

As a person who grew up knowing Chief Painter. I highly recommend this book. The insight into an amazing person and also the shortfalls of the justice system could not have been better written. I read this book cover to cover in a single sitting. Simply could not put it down.