A 45-year-old gangster who was found guilty of horrifically torturing two of his enemies -- then dumped them bleeding and unconscious onto Southeast Portland streets -- was sentenced Tuesday to 55 years in prison.

Multnomah County Circuit Judge Michael Greenlick declined the defense's request to sentence David Ray Bartol to less than half of that. Greenlick said the lengthy sentence was warranted because Bartol was "deliberately cruel," caused lasting permanent injury and has a criminal history that spans nearly 30 years.

According to evidence presented during a two-week trial this summer, Bartol and at least one other accomplice tried to remove one victim's tattoo with an industrial belt sander, placed a motorcycle helmet on the man's head and shot at it with a gun and injected heroin into the victim's neck. When the victim, Nicholas Remington, was no longer breathing, the gangsters dumped his body on the street. Remington was wearing nothing but boxer shorts when his nearly lifeless body was found by a police officer in December 2012. He survived.

Less than two months later, in February 2013, Bartol and a few accomplices also kidnapped another man and tortured him in a spray-paint booth of an auto body shop -- purportedly to contain the blood. They dumped the unconscious victim, Ronald Murphy, near the business at Southeast 84th Avenue and Powell Boulevard.

Murphy had two gunshot wounds to the abdomen and endured a months-long recovery. But Murphy later died of other causes, authorities say. In February 2015, he was found dead in his car from a heroin overdose.

Both victims were associates of Bartol's gang, Krude Rude Brood, and prosecutors argued that Bartol had a beef with each.

A jury found Bartol guilty of all 24 counts against him, including attempted aggravated murder.

Tuesday, prosecutor Kirsten Snowden asked for a 60-year sentence, saying such a sentence was constitutionally sound.

"He is someone who cannot survive on the outside without hurting other people," said prosecutor Kirsten Snowden. "And frankly, it's debatable whether he can remain in custody without hurting other people."

A short while after the torture incidents, Bartol was arrested, tried and sentenced to 18 years in prison for two Salem-area home invasion robberies. Authorities say he shot one victim in the chest. In the other case, he pointed a gun at the victim's forehead and asked him if he wanted to die seconds before police arrived.

Tuesday's 55-year sentence is in addition to the 18 years that Bartol is already serving for the home invasions. That means Bartol would be about 110 years old before he's eligible for release, even with time off for good behavior.

But Bartol also faces a possible death penalty sentence if found guilty of aggravated murder for the death of another inmate at the Marion County Jail in June 2013. Prosecutors say he hit the inmate on the head with a deputy's flashlight and repeatedly pounded a shank into the inmate's left eye, killing him. That trial is scheduled to start later this month.

Bartol's attorneys argued during this summer's trial that Bartol's below average IQ -- due to fetal alcohol syndrome -- led their client to make impulsive decisions. Defense attorney Steve Gorham told the judge Tuesday that the Krude Rude Brood kidnapping-torture cases probably wouldn't have been prosecuted if Bartol hadn't blabbed to deputies, who were investigating the jail killing.

"I'm not even sure we would be here if Mr. Bartol had kept his mouth shut," Gorham said.

Gorham argued that the prosecution's request for prison time was unconstitutional. Gorham said it's more than someone convicted of murder might serve. The sentence for murder is life in prison with a 25-year minimum.

Bartol declined to make any statements during Tuesday's hearing.

-- Aimee Green

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