George Nulph, a convicted murderer and rapist who was released in Clatsop County last month on parole, has been transferred out of the county due to concerns over his public notoriety.

Lt. Kristen Hanthorn, the Clatsop County Corrections director, said Nulph had initially been released to transitional housing in Seaside. But soon after, the management of the facility requested his removal due to “concerns related to public notoriety surrounding his offense.”

Nulph was convicted in 1976 of kidnapping and murdering Frances Christians, a 51-year-old grocery store clerk in Cannon Beach. After he was released on parole 10 years later, he raped a Portland neighbor at gunpoint and was then brought back into custody.

His release on parole this year caused waves in Clatsop County, with many community members expressing outrage over the fact that not only was Nulph let out of prison, but that he was released into the community where the murder was committed.

An Oregon law governs the determination of an inmate’s county of residence upon release; if an individual was not under active felony supervision at the time of the offense leading to imprisonment, they must reside in the county where they lived when the offense occurred.

Nulph was a resident of Clatsop County at the time of the murder.

District Attorney Ron Brown said that although he was glad Nulph had been transferred out of the county, he believed he should not have been released from prison at all.

“I never have really understood that statute that requires DOC (Department of Corrections) to ship them back to the same county they left in … Most of the time, they get shunned or whatnot, if it’s a well-known crime,” he said.

Cynthia Christians, the granddaughter of Nulph’s first victim, said that the parole board had endangered the public regardless of where Nulph was placed.

“The only place in this world he won’t be a danger to the public is back in prison where he should never have been allowed to leave,” she said. “This entire debacle is incredibly frustrating and insulting, to be quite honest.”

Hanthorn confirmed that Clatsop County Corrections had been able to secure reentry housing for Nulph in another county and is working with that county to arrange a long-term placement.

“Due to confidentiality laws and privacy considerations, we cannot disclose specific details regarding his current housing placement,” she said in an email to The Astorian. “However, I can confirm that Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office Community Corrections, in collaboration with partner agencies, continually evaluates placement decisions to balance public safety with the individual’s needs.”