Former vet convicted of stalking, killing man after he found out he was having affair with his wife

OREGON CITY, Ore. (TCN) — A former veterinarian has been convicted of stalking and killing another man after the victim discovered the defendant was having an affair with his wife.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office announced that on Jan. 22, a jury found Steven Milner guilty of second-degree murder, stalking, and violating a court’s stalking protective order in connection with the death of Kenneth Fandrich. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 18.

According to prosecutors, Milner “developed an intimate relationship with one of his longtime employees,” who was married to Fandrich. Fandrich reportedly found out about the affair, leading to “conflict” with Milner. The woman reportedly broke off the relationship with Milner, and he “became obsessed with her and began stalking her and the victim.”

The district attorney’s office said Milner placed GPS tracking devices on Fandrich’s and his wife’s cars. After years of harassment, Fandrich obtained a stalking protective order against Milner in March 2022. Investigators reportedly reviewed home surveillance footage showing Milner sneaking onto the victim’s property.

The stalking protective order did not stop Milner. Prosecutors said Milner continued to stalk the victim and his wife and even placed another GPS tracking device on Fandrich’s cars. Milner reportedly followed Fandrich home and to his place of work at Intel Ronler Acres multiple times.

Officials in Clackamas County charged Milner, but he continued to stalk Fandrich and his wife while he was on conditional release.

According to the district attorney’s office, Milner bought a vehicle on Craigslist in October 2022 and began following the victim secretly at Intel. Two months later, Milner went to the victim’s workplace wearing a disguise and spray-painted several security cameras, including areas where Fandrich often parked, “to test Intel’s security response.” Milner then reportedly kept coming to the Intel parking structure to study Fandrich’s schedule. In January 2023, Milner purchased another car using a false name and continued to observe the victim and the Intel parking structure.

On Jan. 27, 2023, Milner went to Intel while wearing a disguise and spray-painted the security cameras again near the victim’s car. The district attorney’s office said Milner left the area and returned in another vehicle and parked next to Fandrich’s car.

According to prosecutors, as Fandrich walked toward his vehicle, Milner “ambushed him from behind and executed a chokehold on him.” Following Fandrich’s death, Milner tried to stage the victim’s body and items in his vehicle to make it seem like he died of natural causes. An autopsy later showed Fandrich sustained injuries to his neck and spine.

The district attorney’s office said Milner testified in court, claiming he “acted in self-defense after he was attacked by the victim.”

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