Bryce Schubert, 27, of Beaverton, Oregon, appeared in court last Tuesday for less than two minutes for a brief hearing. He has pleaded not guilty on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree abuse of a corpse in the death of 32-year-old newlywed nurse Melissa Jubane.
The victim disappeared just days after her wedding, with the Beaverton Police Department reporting in a statement that they had conducted a welfare check September 4 after she failed to report to work at St. Providence Hospital in Portland.
Authorities said her unreported absence raised “concerns among her coworkers, friends, and family.” A search of her home turned up nothing, while “her absence without communication was deemed unusual and alarming,” per police.
By that Saturday, during which time police had conducted an “extensive investigation,” Jubane’s remains had been discovered and Schubert had been arrested and charged with her murder. Jubane and Schubert lived in the same apartment building, per local NBC affiliate KGW.
He was charged with her murder on September 7, though no immediate connection other than being neighbors was immediately apparent between them. The initial charge was second-degree murder, but that has since been upgraded to the first degree.
According to court documents seen by KGW, prosecutors believe Schubert was “deliberately cruel” during the murder Jubane, noting that a weapon was used in her slaying.
On Thursday, October 17, Senior Deputy District Attorney for Washington County, Andrew Freeman, filed a notification that his office and the State of Oregon would be seeking “a jury finding (or defendant’s admission)” in this case.
Schubert had appeared briefly in court September 10 where his attorney attempted to plead not guilty, but as no indictment had been brought against him yet, this plea was rejected. 17 witnesses later and a grand jury determined there was enough evidence to indict him.
The court documents further stated the prosecution’s argument that “future efforts to rehabilitate defendant will not be successful.” The documents emphasize that the “degree of harm or loss attributed to the current crime of conviction was significantly greater than typical for such an offense,” adding there is a “need” for public safety.
According to family, via KHON2, shortly before her murder, Jubane married Bryan Llantero from Kalihi, Hawaii on August 24, 2024, before a big ceremony with friends and family the following day.
The two returned to the mainland on September 1, spending Labor Day together before the victim allegedly drove back to the Beaverton apartment to be close to work. Llantero, who is reportedly an active U.S. Navy Member, reported for duty in Washington state, staying with his wife’s family.
He last heard from Melissa around 6am on the day of her disappearance.
So far, no other link has been revealed between Jubane and Schubert, who is also a nurse. While he was “briefly employed” at Providence Portland Medical Center from September 2022 to October 2023, per CBS affiliate KOIN, he was never employed at the Providence St. Vincent location, where Jubane was a nurse.
Many details, such as details surrounding the discovery of Jubane’s body, including where it was found, have remained sealed from the public.
