Bobby Alsup Convicted of Second-Degree Murder, Arson, and Other Charges in Horrific Slaying of Kaley Snow in Oregon

A jury in Clackamas County, Oregon, has delivered a verdict of guilty against Bobby Alsup, 33, for the second-degree murder of Kaley Snow, 31, a case marked by chilling premonitions and a calculated cover-up. Snow, who vanished after texting a friend, "I think this dude staying here might try to kill me," in reference to Alsup, a roommate with whom she was secretly involved, was found weeks later bludgeoned to death with a hammer, wrapped in a blanket, and left in a shed on their shared property, which Alsup subsequently set ablaze. The conviction, announced on Tuesday, March 18, 2026, encompasses charges of second-degree murder, arson, theft, abuse of a corpse, and unlawful use of a weapon, painting a grim picture of a relationship that devolved into fatal violence and a desperate attempt to conceal the crime.

The Genesis of a Fatal Relationship

The tragic events unfolded in 2024, stemming from a clandestine romantic relationship between Kaley Snow and Bobby Alsup. The two had initially met through Alsup’s girlfriend, who was a friend of Snow’s. Alsup, a man with a history that included prior assault convictions, began renting a room in Snow’s Flavel property just weeks before her disappearance and murder. This arrangement, seemingly innocuous on the surface, quickly became fraught with tension and suspicion, particularly from Snow’s perspective.

According to prosecutors during Alsup’s murder trial, the relationship was characterized by secrecy and a growing sense of unease on Snow’s part. As the affair progressed, Alsup reportedly began exhibiting alarming behaviors that transcended mere roommate disagreements. He was observed selling items belonging to Snow online, a pattern of conduct that would disturbingly continue even after her death. The Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office highlighted this behavior in its press release, noting that Alsup "immediately started taking items from the home on multiple occasions and selling them" shortly after moving in. This early indication of predatory behavior laid a foundation of mistrust and financial exploitation that predated the violent culmination.

Chilling Premonitions and Desperate Warnings

Weeks before her brutal death, Kaley Snow communicated her profound fear and escalating concerns to a friend through a series of text messages that would later become critical evidence in Alsup’s trial. These messages painted a vivid and disturbing portrait of her deteriorating sense of safety. "I think this dude staying here might try to kill me," she confided, explicitly naming Alsup as the source of her terror. This was not an isolated sentiment. In another chilling exchange, Snow expressed a morbid resignation to her fate but a fierce desire for justice: "I’m not afraid to die, just afraid of nobody knowing who it was."

She described Alsup’s behavior as "sketchy" and noted his delinquency in rent payments, further complicating their already precarious living arrangement. The clandestine nature of their romantic involvement, hidden from Alsup’s primary girlfriend, added layers of complexity and potential motive to the unfolding tragedy. Snow’s texts indicated a growing frustration with Alsup’s presence and his financial irresponsibility. On March 12, 2024, just five days before her murder, Snow reportedly texted Alsup, directly addressing the issue of his tenancy: "You’ve been gone awhile, so I gotta ask what’s up with the room. Do you even still want it?" This direct challenge to Alsup’s living situation, combined with the underlying financial disputes and the secret affair, may have served as a catalyst for the fatal confrontation that was soon to follow.

A Detailed Chronology of Crime and Cover-Up

The prosecution meticulously reconstructed the timeline of events leading up to and following Kaley Snow’s murder, presenting a narrative supported by digital forensics, physical evidence, and eyewitness accounts.

• Pre-March 2024: Bobby Alsup moves into Kaley Snow’s Flavel property, initiating a secret romantic relationship while also maintaining a relationship with Snow’s friend. During this period, Alsup begins to appropriate and sell Snow’s personal belongings. Snow expresses increasing apprehension about Alsup’s behavior and intentions to a friend.
• March 12, 2024: Kaley Snow sends a text message to Bobby Alsup inquiring about his continued tenancy and rent payments, indicating a desire for clarity or resolution regarding their living arrangement. This interaction occurs a mere five days before her death.
• March 17, 2024 – The Murder: Cellphone data placed Bobby Alsup at Snow’s property for approximately four hours. During this critical window, prosecutors assert that Alsup brutally murdered Kaley Snow. The Clackamas County District Attorney’s press release detailed that Alsup "struck Snow twice with a hammer, once on each side of her head," causing fatal injuries. Following the murder, Alsup immediately took steps to conceal his involvement. He sent text messages to Snow’s phone, attempting to establish an alibi and create a false impression that she was still alive and well. Furthermore, he doused the hammer used in the attack with a household cleaning product in a bid to destroy any DNA evidence that could link him to the crime. He then wrapped Snow’s body in a blanket and hid it in a shed on the property, leaving her "to rot," as the prosecution vividly described.
• March 21, 2024 – The Arson: Just past midnight, four days after the murder, Alsup returned to the property. In a desperate and calculated attempt to destroy further evidence and dispose of Snow’s remains, he intentionally set the shed ablaze using gasoline. Firefighters, responding to the fire, discovered Snow’s charred remains amidst the debris, confirming the worst fears of her friends and family.
• Post-Discovery Investigation: The discovery of Snow’s body triggered an extensive investigation by law enforcement. Detectives utilized advanced techniques, including cellphone tracking data, to meticulously document Alsup’s movements and whereabouts during the critical periods surrounding Snow’s disappearance and the fire. Forensic analysis revealed Snow’s blood on Alsup’s clothing, providing a crucial physical link. Furthermore, investigators uncovered Alsup’s internet search history, which indicated numerous queries related to whether police had found Snow’s body or were conducting a missing person investigation. This digital footprint provided compelling evidence of his guilt and his attempts to monitor the investigation.

The Meticulous Investigation and Overwhelming Evidence

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office conducted a thorough and painstaking investigation, which ultimately led to Alsup’s conviction. The prosecution’s case was built on a robust foundation of both physical and digital evidence, meticulously pieced together by detectives and forensic experts.

The power of digital forensics was particularly evident in this case. Cellphone tower data not only placed Alsup at the crime scene during the estimated time of death but also tracked his movements before and after the murder and the subsequent arson. This digital trail effectively dismantled any potential alibi Alsup might have attempted to construct. His internet search history served as a chilling window into his mind, revealing his desperate attempts to ascertain the status of the investigation and the discovery of Snow’s body. These searches, conducted in the aftermath of the murder, demonstrated a clear consciousness of guilt.

Physical evidence further solidified the case. The presence of Kaley Snow’s blood on Alsup’s clothing directly contradicted any claims of innocence or accidental involvement. The hammer, despite Alsup’s attempts to clean it, likely retained traces of evidence, further implicating him. The crime scene itself, including the burnt shed and the remains found within, provided critical insights into the method and means of the murder and the cover-up. Senior Deputy District Attorney Stacey Borgman, a lead prosecutor in the case, succinctly summarized the breadth of evidence, stating that Alsup’s "physical and digital DNA was all over that crime scene." This powerful statement underscored the comprehensive nature of the evidence presented to the jury.

The Trial and the Verdict: A Battle of Narratives

During the trial, Alsup’s defense attorneys attempted to present an alternative narrative. They argued that Alsup had returned to the house to find Snow’s bludgeoned body, and, due to his several prior convictions for assault, he "feared he might be blamed for the murder, so he hid her body." This defense strategy aimed to acknowledge Alsup’s involvement in the handling of the body while dissociating him from the actual act of murder, attempting to mitigate the severity of the charges.

However, the prosecution systematically dismantled this defense, presenting an overwhelming amount of evidence that pointed directly to Alsup as the perpetrator. Senior Deputy District Attorney Stacey Borgman forcefully challenged the defense’s claims, telling jurors, "It is implausible that Alsup thought he would get in trouble, so he cleaned up someone else’s mess." The prosecution highlighted the deliberate steps Alsup took to conceal the crime, including the post-murder texts to Snow, the cleaning of the hammer, the hiding of the body, and the subsequent arson, all of which demonstrated a clear intent to murder and then evade responsibility.

The jury, after considering the compelling evidence and arguments from both sides, ultimately rejected the defense’s narrative. Their guilty verdict on Tuesday reflected their conviction that Bobby Alsup was not merely involved in concealing a crime, but was directly responsible for the brutal murder of Kaley Snow and the subsequent attempts to destroy evidence. The conviction on all counts — second-degree murder, arson, theft, abuse of a corpse, and unlawful use of a weapon — underscored the jury’s belief in the prosecution’s detailed account of Alsup’s premeditated and calculated actions.

Legal Implications and Sentencing

Bobby Alsup’s conviction carries severe legal consequences. In Oregon, a conviction for second-degree murder typically entails a minimum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. The additional convictions for arson, theft, abuse of a corpse, and unlawful use of a weapon will likely contribute to an extended sentence, reflecting the gravity and multiplicity of his crimes. The charge of abuse of a corpse, in particular, highlights the depravity of his actions in handling Snow’s remains. Arson, especially when it leads to the discovery of a body, is a serious felony that carries substantial penalties.

The fact that Alsup has several prior convictions for assault likely played a role in the jury’s perception of his character and propensity for violence, even if those convictions were not directly admissible to prove guilt in this specific murder. His history would have been known to the defense and perhaps informed their strategy to explain his actions regarding the body.

Alsup is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25. During the sentencing hearing, the court will consider various factors, including victim impact statements from Kaley Snow’s family and friends, Alsup’s criminal history, and the specific circumstances of the crimes. The minimum sentence for murder is mandatory, but the judge will have discretion in imposing additional sentences for the other charges, which could run consecutively, further extending the period before any potential parole eligibility.

Broader Impact and Societal Implications

The tragic case of Kaley Snow and Bobby Alsup underscores several critical societal issues, including the dangers inherent in undisclosed relationships, the importance of heeding warning signs, and the role of digital forensics in modern criminal justice.

Snow’s chilling text messages serve as a stark reminder of the importance of taking threats seriously, even when they come from individuals within one’s own living space or intimate circle. Her premonition, tragically fulfilled, highlights the vulnerability that individuals can experience in relationships where trust is eroded and power dynamics become dangerous. While not explicitly framed as a domestic violence case in the traditional sense, the dynamics of control, theft, and eventual fatal violence within a close personal relationship bear strong resemblances to patterns often observed in such cases. The secrecy surrounding their affair further complicated the situation, potentially isolating Snow and making it harder for her to seek external help.

The Clackamas County District Attorney’s office, by securing this conviction, sends a clear message regarding the unwavering pursuit of justice for victims of violent crime. The reliance on advanced investigative techniques, particularly the analysis of cell phone data and internet searches, demonstrates how modern technology has become an indispensable tool in solving complex criminal cases. This case illustrates how the "digital DNA" of perpetrators can leave indelible traces that lead directly to their accountability, even when they attempt to meticulously cover their tracks.

For the community of Clackamas County, the resolution of this harrowing case brings a measure of closure, albeit one tinged with profound sorrow for the loss of Kaley Snow. It reinforces the critical role of law enforcement and the judicial system in protecting residents and ensuring that those who commit such heinous acts are brought to justice. The memory of Kaley Snow, a woman who feared for her life and sought to ensure her killer would be known, is honored by the comprehensive investigation and the ultimate conviction of Bobby Alsup.