Phil Stanford
Encyclopedia
Phil Stanford is an American
journalist and author based in Oregon
. Stanford is best known for his work on the murder of Oregon Department of Corrections
director Michael Francke
and his efforts to prove the innocence of Frank Gable, the man who was convicted of the crime.His 1994 Oregonian series on the “Happy Face Killer” case resulted in two innocent people being released from prison.
Stanford's first book, Portland Confidential, is an expose of the city's post-War past as a vice mecca, operating under the protection of the local police. It was a regional best-seller and received the Independent Publishers "Best True Crime Award" for 2005. The Peyton-Allan Files, published in 2010, is a true-crime mystery about the 1960 lovers' lane slaying of two Portland teenagers. As a result of his investigation, Stanford claims to have solved what is usually considered the most sensational murder case in Portland history.
From 1987 to 1994, Stanford wrote a column for The Oregonian
. His departure from the paper is generally seen as a result of his disagreements with management over his coverage of the murder of Corrections chief Michael Francke. His column in the Portland Tribune
, which ran from 2001 to 2008, covered numerous topics including the history of political and police corruption and organized crime in Portland, Oregon. Stanford opposed several initiatives of the administrations of Portland mayors Vera Katz
and Tom Potter
. He expressed especially strong opposition to Voter-Owned Elections
, a favorite cause of former City Council member Erik Sten
.
Before moving to Oregon, Stanford worked as a magazine writer and editor in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. He has written on crime, national security and intelligence matters for a number of publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Washingtonian Magazine, Parade, Columbia Journalism Review, and Rolling Stone.
Stanford is currently working on Rose City Vice, the third book in his Rose City Trilogy. It is scheduled for release in late 2011 through ptown books.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist and author based in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Stanford is best known for his work on the murder of Oregon Department of Corrections
Oregon Department of Corrections
The Oregon Department of Corrections is the agency of the U.S. state of Oregon charged with managing a system of 14 state prisons since its creation by the state legislature in 1987...
director Michael Francke
Michael Francke
James Michael Francke was the Director of the Oregon Department of Corrections, the governmental bureau which manages prisons, inmates and parolees in the state of Oregon. He was appointed by then-governor Neil Goldschmidt to oversee Goldschmidt's plan to double the state's inmate capacity...
and his efforts to prove the innocence of Frank Gable, the man who was convicted of the crime.His 1994 Oregonian series on the “Happy Face Killer” case resulted in two innocent people being released from prison.
Stanford's first book, Portland Confidential, is an expose of the city's post-War past as a vice mecca, operating under the protection of the local police. It was a regional best-seller and received the Independent Publishers "Best True Crime Award" for 2005. The Peyton-Allan Files, published in 2010, is a true-crime mystery about the 1960 lovers' lane slaying of two Portland teenagers. As a result of his investigation, Stanford claims to have solved what is usually considered the most sensational murder case in Portland history.
From 1987 to 1994, Stanford wrote a column for The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
. His departure from the paper is generally seen as a result of his disagreements with management over his coverage of the murder of Corrections chief Michael Francke. His column in the Portland Tribune
Portland Tribune
The Portland Tribune is a free weekly newspaper published each Thursday in Portland, Oregon, United States.The Tribune is part of the Pamplin Media Group, which publishes a number of community newspapers in the Portland metropolitan area, and also owns and operates the talk radio station KPAM, and...
, which ran from 2001 to 2008, covered numerous topics including the history of political and police corruption and organized crime in Portland, Oregon. Stanford opposed several initiatives of the administrations of Portland mayors Vera Katz
Vera Katz
Vera Katz is a Democratic politician in the state of Oregon. She was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and was the 45th mayor of Portland, Oregon's most populous city. Growing up in New York City, she moved to Portland in 1962 and was elected to the Oregon...
and Tom Potter
Tom Potter
Tom Potter is the former Mayor of the city of Portland, Oregon in the United States. He was elected in 2004, and left office in January 2009. He was succeeded by City Commissioner Sam Adams. Prior to Potter's service as mayor, he was Portland's police chief....
. He expressed especially strong opposition to Voter-Owned Elections
Clean elections
"Clean Elections" is a term used to describe a particular system of government financing of political campaigns, in which the government provides a grant to candidates who agree to limit their and private fundraising efforts and limit their campaign-spending.- In the United States :Clean Election...
, a favorite cause of former City Council member Erik Sten
Erik Sten
Erik Sten is a former City Commissioner in Portland, Oregon, United States. He was first elected to Commissioner Position No. 2 in 1996, in a campaign featuring hundreds of volunteers, defeating Chuck Duffy...
.
Before moving to Oregon, Stanford worked as a magazine writer and editor in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. He has written on crime, national security and intelligence matters for a number of publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Washingtonian Magazine, Parade, Columbia Journalism Review, and Rolling Stone.
Stanford is currently working on Rose City Vice, the third book in his Rose City Trilogy. It is scheduled for release in late 2011 through ptown books.