Crescent man faces murder charge after shooting death of brother

Published 9:44 am Monday, November 27, 2023

A Crescent man is facing a murder charge after authorities allege he shot and killed his brother at an RV park on Sunday.

Robert Williams Frates, 59, is in the Klamath County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder and the unlawful use of a weapon, according to an online jail roster.

He is accused of shooting his brother, John Frates, 56, “multiple times” with a 9 mm handgun, according to a probable cause statement filed in the Klamath County Circuit Court on Monday.

Authorities responded to the reported shooting in Crescent on Sunday evening, according to Hailey Anderson, a civil clerk for the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office. Crescent is roughly 45 miles south of Bend on U.S. Highway 97.

“Robert Frates admitted to shooting John Frates after he discovered him inside his trailer,” the probable cause statement says.

Frates was arrested Sunday at the Crescent RV Park at 109 Potter St., according to the jail roster. He was booked in the jail Monday morning. He is being held without bail.

“My wife and I are sending our condolences to the family,” said David Shaver, owner of the RV park.

Shaver — who declined to say if the brothers lived at the RV park — said he arrived Sunday night to see the RV park filled with police. He stayed up throughout much of the night as the investigation continued.

“I’ve never dealt with anything like this in my life,” he said. “To see something like this is horrific.”

Neither of the Frates brothers have a criminal history in Oregon, according to court records.