Background: William Watson appears in Multnomah County court on Monday, May 4, 2026 (KOIN/YouTube). Inset: Cali Bolden (Portland Police Bureau).
A man has learned his fate for fatally shooting a mother of three when a fight erupted outside an Oregon bar and he aimed his weapon at someone else.
William Watson, 34, was originally charged with murder in the second degree in the death of 26-year-old Cali Bolden, the Portland Police Bureau announced. He also faced two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of attempted murder in the second degree, and two counts of assault in the second degree with a firearm.
On Monday, the defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, felon in possession of a firearm, and attempted first-degree assault with a firearm, local CBS affiliate KOIN reported. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison with credit for time served.
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On Oct. 15th, 2023, at about 4 a.m., Portland police responded to the area of Southeast Foster Road and Southeast 86th Avenue in the city due to reports of a shooting. Officers arrived to find three people with gunshot wounds.
Two victims were brought to a nearby hospital with life-threatening gunshot wounds, police said. Bolden — also referred to as Durbin by police — was pronounced dead on the scene. The medical examiner determined that she died from a gunshot wound in a homicide.
Nearly a year later, on Aug. 24, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service helped arrest Watson. Law enforcement also arrested then-34-year-old Candice Hicks, who was charged with attempted murder in the second degree and unlawful use of a weapon. They were in Washington state before they were extradited.
Watson was a member of the Outcast motorcycle club and had traveled to Portland to attend a party there with other club members, court records reviewed by The Oregonian stated. During the festivities, a fight broke out and erupted onto the street, where Watson started firing.
He admitted to firing the gun but said he “never even saw” Bolden at the time of the shooting. Family members of Bolden said they understood this, but that this fact would not bring her back.
“I forgive him even though he took away my mother,” stated Bolden’s eldest child, per KOIN. He had turned 8 the day before her death and said he was going to celebrate with his mother when she returned home. “And my sister and my brother will have to live without a mom and a dad.”
Hicks has reportedly pleaded not guilty to the charges against her. Her trial is expected to begin on Feb. 8, 2027.
The post Mom of 3 shot dead before she could celebrate her son’s 8th birthday after street fight broke out nearby as she was on sidewalk first appeared on Law & Crime.
