A shadow from Portland’s past has resurfaced. Larry Hurwitz, once known as the owner of the vibrant Starry Night Concert Hall and now infamously labeled the “Starry Night Murderer,” is again facing legal trouble, this time on allegations of domestic violence and a parole violation in Clackamas County.
Hurwitz was arrested last week in Sandy, Oregon, accused of harassment and fourth-degree assault. He’s currently held at the Clackamas County Jail with bail set at a substantial $500,000, signaling the seriousness with which authorities are treating the situation.
This isn’t a new cycle for Hurwitz. He’s under lifetime post-prison supervision stemming from a murder conviction, a consequence of a case that haunted Portland for years. A warrant for his arrest had been issued back in 2019, finally served last year after his extradition from California.
The original case centered around the disappearance of Tim Moreau, a 21-year-old promotions manager at the Starry Night club. The story first broke in 1990 through a gripping investigative series by journalist Jim Redden, titled “Missing and Presumed Dead,” which exposed unsettling details surrounding Moreau’s vanishing.
Redden, a veteran of investigative reporting, always suspected Hurwitz’s involvement. He described Hurwitz as a driven, yet aggressive businessman, known for operating on the fringes of the law, even allegedly selling counterfeit concert tickets at his own establishment.
Prosecutors built a case arguing that Hurwitz, along with another employee, George Castagnola, silenced Moreau to protect a fraudulent ticket scheme. Though Hurwitz entered a no-contest plea, the truth of what happened to Moreau remains shrouded in mystery, as his body has never been found.
Hurwitz’s troubles didn’t end with his initial release from prison in 2008. He continued to attract the attention of law enforcement, most notably with a 2019 arrest in California involving a significant drug trafficking operation – four kilos of cocaine and over $320,000 in cash.
While the current domestic violence allegations appear less severe than the drug charges, Redden believes there’s more to the story. He suggests the ongoing investigation could reveal connections to past misdeeds, hinting at a pattern of behavior that has followed Hurwitz for decades.
The Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office remains tight-lipped, citing the active investigation. The parole violation process is being handled separately, adding another layer of complexity to the case.
Hurwitz is scheduled for a court appearance on February 4th, with a trial date set for March 19th. The city waits, once again, for answers and a reckoning with a dark chapter in its history.
