A former nightclub owner in Portland, Larry Hurwitz, known as the “Starry Night Killer,” is back in prison after being charged with domestic violence and violating parole. He was arrested last week in Sandy, Oregon, on charges that include harassment and fourth-degree assault, and is currently being held without bail set at $500,000.
According to records from the Oregon Parole Board, Hurwitz is serving a life sentence for a murder conviction related to a 1990 case. There’s no additional conviction under their supervision at this time. A warrant was issued for his arrest in 2019, and he was extradited from California for this violation.
Hurwitz, who was previously sanctioned in August 2019, had seen his supervision revoked for 180 days. He was sentenced to 11 years back in 2000 for the murder of 21-year-old Tim Morrow, a former employee at his club, Starry Night Concert Hall. It’s notable that Morrow’s body has never been discovered.
Veteran journalist Jim Redden, who covered the initial disappearance of Morrow in an investigative series for Willamette Week, stated that Hurwitz, an influential figure in the local nightlife scene, harbored a dark side. Redden described him as aggressive and notorious for selling counterfeit tickets at his venues.
Prosecutors claimed that Hurwitz killed Morrow and another employee, George Castagnola, to cover up a ticket scam. Hurwitz eventually filed a no-contest motion regarding the charges. After serving part of his sentence, he was released early in 2008 but reported further issues with law enforcement, including a drug trafficking incident in California in 2019. It appears that while these recent domestic violence charges seem minor, Redden believes they could tie back to Hurwitz’s past.
The Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office declined to provide details, citing the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, Hurwitz is set to appear in court on February 4th, with a trial scheduled for March 19th.
