DA Press Release
Jody Newby
District Attorney for Coos County
Office of the District Attorney
Coos County Courthouse
250 N. Baxter St.
Coquille, OR 97423
Phone: 541-396-7550
Fax: 541-396-1015
TOO: 1-800-735-2900
July 29, 2026
PRESS RELEASE
After an investigation and several criminal prosecutions that lasted approximately twenty-seven months, we announce the successful completion of the prosecution of six adult individuals who either were found guilty at trial or pled guilty or no contest to sexually abusing two children under the age of twelve when they were abused.
The investigation was led by the Coos County Sheriff's Office by Detective David Ritz. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also assisted in the investigation, with Special Agent Deane Davis being the lead agent. The prosecution was headed by R. Paul Frasier, who at the time the case first came to light was the elected District Attorney of Coos County. After his retirement at the end of 2024, Mr. Frasier, at the request of the new District Attorney, Jody Newby, continued to handle the prosecution of all of the defendants.
Initially only two defendants were identified. However, as the investigation progressed, over a period of about 18 months, four additional defendants were identified and charged. Mr. Frasier continued to prosecute these cases until they were completed, with the last case being completed on July 20, 2026.
This matter first came to light in April of 2024, when one of the victims indicated to officials at their school that they had been sexually abused by Bridge resident, Jesse Frank Reigard. This victim was an acquaintance of the Reigard family. This victim also identified that another child was being sexually abused by Mr. Reigard. That child was identified as a stepchild of Mr. Reigard.
The victim who came forward in April also indicated that they believed that some of the abuse had been recorded either by photos or videos.
In early April 2024, Detective Ritz obtained a search warrant for the property of Mr. Reigard located near Bridge, Oregon. During the execution of that search warrant the cell phones of Mr. Reigard and his wife, Karissa Danielle Reigard, were seized. No arrests were made at that time as the investigators wanted to have the phones analyzed to determine what evidence they might contain. In addition, the children in the Reigard family were placed under a safety plan by child protective services and were living with other persons.
The Reigard family consisted of a total of four children. One child, the second victim in this case, is the biological child of Karissa Reigard from a previous relationship. Two children are the biological children of Jesse Reigard from a previous relationship. The fourth child is the biological child of both Mr. and Mrs. Reigard.
Toward the end of April of 2024, unknown to investigators, the children were returned to the custody of Mr. and Mrs. Reigard. Shortly thereafter, the Reigard family left Oregon. When investigators became aware that they had left the state with the children, charges were filed against both Mr. and Mrs. Reigard and warrants were issued for their arrest The FBI was involved in the search for Jesse and Karissa Reigard. Through the
efforts of the FBI, in early May 2024, Mrs. Reigard and the children were located in Phoenix, Arizona. Karissa Reigard was arrested. The children were taken into custody of children services in Arizona and were brought back to Oregon within a couple of days. Jesse Reigard was not found in Arizona. Mrs. Reigard waived extradition proceedings in Arizona and was brought back to Oregon.
About a week after Karissa Reigard was arrested in Arizona, a family member of Mr. Reigard contacted the police and told them where Jesse Reigard could be found. Based upon that tip, Jesse Reigard was found in a moving vehicle that was stopped near Winston, Oregon. Jesse Reigard was taken into custody without incident.
After the arrests of both Mr. and Mrs. Reigard, the cell phones of both Karissa and Jesse Reigard were analyzed by forensic computer experts with the FBI. On Jesse Reigard's phone, digital evidence was found showing both Mr. and Mrs. Reigard sexually abusing one or both of the victims.
Examination of the phone also showed digital evidence showing an individual identified as Tallon McDonald sexually abusing one of the children. After a year of investigation, additional digital evidence was located on a portable hard drive that had been located in a travel trailer once owned by Jesse Reigard. The trailer had eventually ended up in Tennessee, and the drive was located behind a wood panel in the trailer by the current owner who then turned the drive over to the FBI in Tennessee. The FBI were able to analyze that drive and discovered digital evidence showing Erik Lee Mathew sexually abusing the first victim. It also contained digital evidence showing Jesse Reigard sexually abusing the first victim.
The first victim was forensically interviewed at the Kid's Hope Center in Coos Bay. In their interviews they described that in addition to the abuse that had been recorded, that they had been sexually abused by Jesse Reigard, Karissa Reigard, Tallon McDonald, and an individual she could not identify but identified as "Erik". The first victim also had witnessed Jesse Reigard and Karissa Reigard sexually abusing the second victim. In interviews with the Sheriff's Office and the FBI, both Karissa Reigard and Nathan Bennett confirmed seeing the second victim being abused by Gregory Scott. Nathan Bennett admitted to sexually abusing the second victim, and Karissa Reigard admitted to sexually abusing her biological child.
The second victim, upon their return to Oregon from Arizona, was placed with their biological father in Marion County. That victim was forensically interviewed at the Liberty House in Salem, Oregon. In their interviews, the victim confirmed being sexually abused by Jesse Reigard, their mother, Karissa Reigard, Tallon McDonald, Nathan Bennett and Gregory Scott. (Gregory Scott is the biological father of Karissa Reigard and is the grandfather of the second victim.)
Three criminal jury trials were conducted with one pertaining to Tallon McDonald and two as to Jesse Reigard. At all three trials it was the state's theory that Jesse Reigard was, for lack of a better term, the "ringleader" of this group and that is was through his efforts that the other individuals became involved in the abuse of these two children. Karissa Reigard, Nathan Bennett, Erik Mathew and Gregory Scott all entered into plea agreements. The plea agreements were reached with the agreement of the victims and their guardians and were done primarily to avoid having to call the victims as witnesses if those defendants went to trial. As it was, the victims had to testify in the three trials that were conducted.
The dispositions of the six defendants are as follows:
1. Jesse Frank Reigard, now 45 years of age and former resident of Bridge, Oregon was convicted after two jury trials (one trial for each victim) of one count of Rape in the First Degree, two counts of Sodomy in the First Degree, and three counts of Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree. These counts pertain to
crimes committed against each victim. As the victims were under age twelve, the provisions of Jessica's law applies and on each count the defendant was ordered to serve twenty-five years in prison on each count consecutive to each other. He is not eligible of parole or for any form of early release. He was also convicted on
one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and ordered to serve an additional two and a half years in prison, for a total of 152 ½ years in prison;
2. Karissa Danielle Reigard, now 33 years of age and a former resident of Bridge, Oregon, pled guilty of one count of Sodomy on the First Degree pertaining to her child. As Jessica's Law applies, she was sentenced to 25 years in prison. She is not eligible for parole of any form of early release;
3. Tallon James McDonald, now 45 years of age and a former resident of Myrtle Point, Oregon, was convicted after a jury trial of one count of Rape in the First Degree and one count of Sodomy in the First Degree as to the first victim and two counts of Sodomy in the First Degree as to the second victim. Each count was subject to Jessica's Law. The court sentenced the defendant to 25 years in prison on each count. The court ordered that two counts be served concurrently to the other two, with two counts being ordered to be served consecutively. This totals 50 years in prison and again Mr. McDonald is not eligible for parole or any form of early release;
4. Nathan James Bennett, now 41 years of age and a former resident of Myrtle Point, pled guilty to three counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree pertaining to the second victim. He was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison. These charges are covered by Measure 11 and as a result, Mr. Bennett is not eligible for parole or any form of early release;
5. Erik Lee Mathew, now 34 years of age and a former resident of Myrtle Point, pled guilty to two counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree as to the first victim. He was sentenced to 11 ½ years in prison. These charges are covered by Measure 11 and as a result , Mr. Mathew is not eligible for parole or any form of early release; and
6. Gregory Carl Scott, now 59 years of age and a former resident of Coquille, Oregon, pled no contest to one count of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree as to his grandchild and was sentenced to 75 months in prison. This charge is also pursuant to Measure 11, and Mr. Scott is not eligible of any form of early release or parole.
While each defendant has sentences that will not allow parole or any form of early release, all defendants are entitled to credit for time served in custody prior to their being sentenced by the court.
We wish to commend the excellent investigative work done by the Coos County Sheriff's Office and especially the work of Detective David Ritz. We also wish to commend the assistance of the FBI and especially the work of Special Agent Deane Davis. The digital evidence found by the FBI computer experts was essential to these prosecutions.
We also thank Mr. Frasier for seeing these cases to completion while being "retired".