The family of a Salem man who was stabbed to death in his home in 2021 is suing Marion County for $3.4 million.

Travis Juetten, 26, and his wife, Jamilyn, were attacked by an unknown intruder in their east Salem home on Aug. 13, 2021, Marion County Sheriff's Office said. His wife sustained life-threatening injuries but recovered.

Police did not publicly share information about suspects or anyone arrested for the attack. In 2022, Juetten's family offered a $50,000 reward for anyone with information that could lead to an arrest and conviction of the attacker.

At a press conference announcing the reward, Juetten's mother, Myra Juetten, begged for people to come forward with information.

"Losing Travis is the worst grief you can ever imagine," she said. "He was our first born son and the light of our life. We were so proud of him and were looking forward to the next venture in his life. There is a hole in our hearts that will never go away."

In a lawsuit filed Dec. 1, his family alleges Marion County failed to properly supervise a man who later became a primary suspect in Juetten's death and whose DNA was present at the scene. The lawsuit also states police did not disclose the man was a top suspect to Juetten's family until this year as the investigation was ongoing, according to the lawsuit.

"Marion County does not comment on ongoing litigation before completing our internal review," Jon Heynen, a spokesperson for the county, said in an email.

In June 2021, a 30-year-old Salem man was convicted of two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of menacing in Marion County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years of supervised probation on a "zero tolerance" condition for violating the terms.

Three days after his release from jail, the man was cited for driving while suspended and admitted to his probation officer he had used marijuana and alcohol, violating the terms of his probation, according to the lawsuit.

His probation officer did not report the violations, and in early August, the officer wrote that the man "appeared out of focus" and was making strange comments, the lawsuit alleges. The man failed to attend an intake appointment for a treatment service that he was directed by the court to attend and reported to another probation officer he had used marijuana, according to the lawsuit.

Days later, Juetten was killed, and law enforcement officers collected evidentiary swabs from the scene, including droplets of blood, according to the lawsuit.

In late August, the man's probation officer reported him to the court for probation violations following a domestic disturbance with his family. Officers responding to the disturbance said that he was "making remarks about things he was hearing and seeing that were not present," according to court documents.

He was scheduled to be arraigned in October 2021 for probation violations, but in September, the man killed himself.

Law enforcement officers obtained DNA from him after his death and confirmed it was present at the scene of Juetten's death, the lawsuit alleges. They also said a vehicle matching the man's vehicle was seen at Juetten's property that night, according to the lawsuit.

The man became a primary suspect, but police did not disclose that to Juetten's family until this year, as the investigation was ongoing, according to the lawsuit.

The family alleges that in an April 30 meeting, the lead prosecutor explained the evidence connecting the man to Juetten's murder and said that if the man were still alive, the prosecutor would seek an indictment for Juetten's murder.

The family alleges the county's negligence and failure to abide by the zero tolerance condition of the man's probation directly lead to Juetten's death. They argue the county should have recognized the man's risk to the community and properly responded to the "dangerous pattern" between his substance use and violent behavior.

The suit requests $400,000 for financial losses and $3 million for Juetten's suffering and "the loss of companionship to his family."

According to a GoFundMe from the family, Juetten and his wife were set to leave for vacation on the day of his death. He gave his life to save her, according the webpage.

Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at [email protected] or on X at @isabeldfunk