Keizer woman guilty but insane for murdering son in 2017

A Marion County Circuit Court judge has found a Keizer woman guilty but insane eight years after she strangled to death her 12-year-old son.

Amy M. Robertson, 46, could spend the rest of her life under the watch of Oregon’s Psychiatric Security Review Board. 

Judge Lindsay Partridge on Wednesday found Robertson guilty except for insanity for the first- and second-degree murder of her son, Caden D. Berry, in 2017. That finding means Robertson could not comprehend her actions at the time because she was mentally ill.

She also pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment for injuring her other son. Salem Reporter does not identify survivors of child abuse.

Partridge committed Robertson to the state board’s jurisdiction for up to the rest of her life. The judge found that Robertson was a “substantial danger” to others and ordered that she be placed at the Oregon State Hospital.

People found guilty but insane can be institutionalized at the state hospital or released to the community under certain conditions, “at levels of care ranging from secure residential treatment facilities to independent living,” according to the board’s website. They can also be discharged altogether if their mental state changes and they are no longer a danger to others.

The board uses hearings to determine whether releasing a person is appropriate. “In making decisions, the board’s primary concern is the protection of the public,” according to the website.

Robertson’s sentence brought to a close the nearly decade-long legal saga that followed her son’s death.

Caden Berry was born in Newport on June 16, 2004.

He was the youngest of three and “spent most of his life having fun in Keizer,” according to his obituary. 

“He enjoyed spending time with the people who he loved and who loved him in return. He liked watching football, playing video games and catching all of the Pokemon. Caden always loved making people laugh and loved sharing that laughter with his friends,” the obituary said.

He made many friends at Claggett Creek Middle School, where he was a seventh grader at the time of his death on Jan. 13, 2017.

The Keizer Police Department arrested Robertson, then 38, at their home at the Riverwood Apartments on North Garland Way. She later admitted to police that she had strangled Berry, according to court records.

A Marion County grand jury originally indicted her on charges including aggravated murder, punishable by death under Oregon law. But the state has had a moratorium on executions since 2011. 

Partridge dismissed the case in 2020 at the request of Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson’s Office, finding that Robertson was unable to understand her legal rights and responsibilities due to her mental illness.

The judge ordered that she stay at the state hospital as an “extremely dangerous” person – a rare civil proceeding where people are committed who have no criminal charges.

Marion County prosecutors re-filed charges against Robertson in December 2024 after a psychologist reported she was no longer showing signs of mental illness.

But days later, Partridge again found that Robertson was unable to assist in her defense and sent her back to the state hospital.

The judge later found on May 1 that Robertson was mentally fit to proceed. 

Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.

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