Neighbor accused of killing Melissa Jubane charged with first-degree murder
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The man accused of killing a Providence nurse faced an updated charge of first-degree murder in court during a hearing Monday afternoon, according to the Washington County District Attorney's Office.
Bryce Schubert, 27, is accused in the murder of Melissa Jubane after she was reported missing on Wednesday, Sept. 4 and found dead two days later.
Schubert originally faced a charge of second degree-murder, but it as since been updated to first-degree murder, according to the DA's office. He also faces first-degree kidnapping and abuse of a corpse charges.
The Washington County courtroom of Judge Rebecca Guptill was packed, with Jubane's friends sitting in the back of the court.
For the second time in as many weeks, Schubert did not physically appear in court to hear these updated charges, instead appearing on a screen behind a cell door at the county jail.
Judge Guptill asked Schubert if he was able to hear the proceedings.
"Yes, ma'am," he said.
His attorney, Gregory Scholl, entered a not guilty plea on Schubert's behalf to the amended charges. The judge accepted the plea.
The details of the crime remain sealed. Schubert's next court appearance is set for the afternoon of October 15.
After the proceeding, Scholl offered only a "no comment" when asked about the case by KOIN 6 News.
Jubane's friends who spoke with KOIN 6 News said they don't know what to say regarding these amended charges.
At a vigil last week, her friends and colleagues remembered her best moments, that she was bubbly, passionate, knowledgeable and interesting.
Schubert had been Jubane's neighbor at an apartment complex in Beaverton and was arrested in connection to the case after her remains were collected by law enforcement. On Sept. 9, a lawyer pleaded not guilty on Schubert's behalf.
On the day Jubane went missing, her co-workers immediately reported that she had missed her shift at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. Officials later confirmed that Jubane had died on the same day as her disappearance.
According to a Providence spokesperson, Schubert had been “briefly employed” as a Providence Portland Medical Center nurse from September 2022 to October 2023. However, Schubert was not employed at the Providence location where Jubane had worked.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.