By Steve Mayes
The Oregonian
OREGON CITY — The ashes of Lawrence Cambra, the man who killed an Oregon City police officer this month, were removed from a military cemetery Thursday after officials were alerted to what he had done.
Department of Veterans Affairs regulations allow cemetery officials to deny burial when there is “clear and convincing evidence” that a person committed a capital crime but died prior to prosecution.
“We were notified of the situation and the VA did take action,” said Roger Huntley, Willamette National administrative officer.
The Cambra case was reviewed by Veterans Affairs officials in Washington D.C. and the decision was made to remove Cambra’s ashes, Huntley said.
Cambra’s remains were taken to an Oregon City funeral home. It is unclear where he will be placed.
“A veteran’s cemetery is a place of honor and, in my view, Mr. Cambra forfeited that honor when he murdered Officer Robert Libke,” said City Manager David Frasher.
Cambra, 88, set his house on fire Nov. 3 then shot Oregon City Reserve Officer Robert Libke, who responded to 911 calls about the incident.
Cambra committed suicide when confronted by a SWAT team. Libke died the next day.
An urn containing Cambra’s cremated remains was placed in a columbarium at Willamette National Cemetery on Nov. 14, the same day thousands of people attended Libke’s memorial.
Public records indicate that Cambra enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in Hawaii on Dec. 15, 1945.
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