A Multnomah County Circuit Court judge sentenced Mohamed Adan to life in prison Tuesday, after Adan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the killing of his domestic partner, Racheal Abraham.
The 2022 murder sparked significant controversy, as the Portland Freedom Fund had posted Adan’s bail one week before Abraham was murdered. The organization has said its aim is to help people of color with low incomes post bail.
Mohamed Adan sits during his sentencing hearing at the Multnomah County Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on Dec. 30, 2025.
Courtesy of Multnomah County District Attorney's Office
Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez told reporters Wednesday morning that court records prior to her murder showed “a documented pattern of escalating abuse.”
“The life sentence that he received cannot undo the unimaginable harm he has caused by this murder,” Vasquez said, “nor can it erase the trauma inflicted upon his children who witnessed their mother die at the hands of someone who should have never been free.”
Adan, 36, will be eligible for parole after serving 25 years.
His history of violence against Abraham first became evident in May 2022, according to prosecutors. He had punched her in the head twice, which led to the granting of a restraining order.
Abraham then reported one month later that Adan had violated that order. He entered her apartment, strangled her multiple times and threatened to kill her. Police soon arrested him after that incident.
He was released under supervision, but he cut off his GPS monitor and soon attacked Abraham again, leading to a second arrest.
The court set his bail to $20,000 and the Portland Freedom Fund soon paid the 10% required for his release. One week after his release, police found Abraham dead.
Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marrero said the killing was brutal, as Abraham had knife wounds all over her head and face. The killing took place in front of their three children.
Vasquez took aim specifically at the Portland Freedom Fund’s decision to post Adan’s bail.
“I am sickened and outraged that this group chose to bail out the defendant,” he said. “That reckless decision had real world consequences.”
Racheal Abraham, in an undated photo. Her domestic partner, Mohamed Adan, pleaded guilty to her 2022 murder.
Courtesy of Multnomah County District Attorney's Office / OPB
Representatives from the Portland Freedom Fund did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment.
Terrence Hayes, a board member for the Freedom Fund, told OPB’s “Think Out Loud” in 2022 that the organization was learning from the tragedy. He also pointed to hundreds of other people he said benefited from the Freedom Fund’s efforts.
“What we realized is that we have to ask for more from attorneys that recommend individuals and we have to be able to just take a little bit more time and evaluate individuals,” Hayes said. “It’s a horrific lesson learned for us, but we are trying to grow and develop.”
Prosecutors said Tuesday they would seek an order for Portland Freedom Fund founder Amanda Trujillo to pay the remaining $18,000 of Adan’s outstanding bail, since she signed the original paperwork. That money would go toward restitution to Abraham’s family.
