DALLAS, Ore. — James Lawrence Kleinschmit, 55, has been sentenced to 275 months—nearly 23 years—in prison after being convicted on 12 criminal counts including rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, burglary, and strangulation stemming from a 2024 attack in West Salem.
Prosecutors said Kleinschmit, a transient from the Salem area, broke into the victim’s home, assaulted and strangled her, then stole her guns, jewelry, and vehicle before being captured by Yamhill County deputies.
Under Oregon’s Measure 11 laws, Kleinschmit will serve the full sentence without the possibility of early release and must register as a sex offender. Judge Monte Campbell called it “the most violent rape he has ever seen” in his 33 years on the bench. The case was investigated by Salem Police and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Shannon Clausen.
