A former college soccer player from New Jersey was sentenced to more than three years in prison on Wednesday for a gruesome attack on an Oregon train platform that left a 78-year-old man’s ear and face chewed off. Koryn Kraemer, now 27, attacked the victim at the Cleveland Avenue MAX station in Portland about 2 a.m. on January 3, 2023, believing him to be a killer “robot.” Both the defense and prosecution attributed the violent attack to Kraemer’s schizophrenia, for which he is now receiving treatment.
Kraemer admitted that he was under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, and fentanyl when he approached the man and sunk his teeth into him. By the time police arrived at the scene, Kraemer had chewed off the man’s ear and bitten the skin off his face to the point of exposing his skull. He spat out the victim’s flesh on the tracks and claimed that police “saved his life by separating him from ‘the robot,'” according to documents.
The elderly victim was hospitalized in stable condition but has since died from unrelated causes, according to KATU. Kraemer was found mentally unfit to stand trial after his arrest and spent four months in the Oregon State Hospital where he was prescribed medicine to treat schizophrenia. He grew up in Westfield, New Jersey, and previously attended Oberlin College in Ohio, where he was a goalie on the men’s soccer team in 2015 and 2016.
During his sentencing hearing, Kraemer expressed remorse for his actions, stating, “I feel really horribly about what happened, and I know now that by medicating my condition I’ll be able to manage my illness and ensure that nothing violent happens in the future.” His attorney added that Kraemer is appropriately embarrassed and remorseful for things that occurred when he wasn’t in his right state of mind.
Kraemer was initially charged with felony assault but pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree attempted assault as part of a bargain with prosecutors. He was sentenced to 40 months behind bars with credit for time served and the possibility of time off for good behavior. He will spend nearly two years under supervision after he’s released, which could be as early as next summer. Upon completing his sentence, Kraemer plans to return to New Jersey and live with family.
