HGH Injections For Sale

Human growth hormone (hGH) is a proteohormone secreted by the pituitary gland. It acts through binding to the hGH receptor, inducing either direct effects or initiating the production of insulin-like growth-factor I (IGF-I), the most important mediator of hGH effects. Growth hormone is primarily known to promote longitudinal growth in children and adolescents, but has also various important metabolic functions throughout adult life. Effects of hGH on the adult organism are well established from studies with recombinant growth hormone (rhGH) therapy in growth hormone deficient subjects. In this particular group of patients, replacement of hGH leads to increased lipolysis and lean body mass, decreased fat mass, improvements in VO(2max), and maximal power output. Although extrapolation from these findings to the situation in well trained healthy subjects is impossible, and controlled studies in healthy subjects are scarce, abuse of hGH seems to be popular among athletes trying to enhance physical performance. Detection of the application of rhGH is difficult, especially because the amino acid sequence of rhGH is identical to the major 22,000 Da isoform of hGH normally secreted by the pituitary. Furthermore, some physiological properties of hGH secretion also hindered the development of a doping test: secreted in a pulsatile manner, it has a very short half-life in circulation, which leads to highly variable serum levels. Concentration alone therefore cannot prove the exogenous administration of hGH.Two approaches have independently been developed for the detection of hGH doping: The so-called "marker approach" investigates changes in hGH-dependent parameters like IGF-I or components of bone and collagen metabolism, which are increased after hGH injection. In contrast, the so-called "isoform approach" directly analyses the spectrum of molecular isoforms in circulation: the pituitary gland secretes a spectrum of homo- and heterodimers and - multimers of a variable spectrum of hGH isoforms, whereas rhGH consists of the monomeric 22,000 Da isoform only. This isoform therefore becomes predominant after injection of rhGH. Specific immunoassays with preference for the one or the other isoform allow analysis of the relative abundance of the 22,000 Da isoform. Application of rhGH can be proven when the ratio of this isoform relative to the others is increased above a certain threshold. Because the "marker method" and the "isoform method" have a different window of opportunity for detection, complementary use of both tests could be a way to increase the likelihood of detecting cheating athletes.

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Growth hormone - PubMed

Medical condition

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD), or human growth hormone deficiency, is a medical condition resulting from not enough growth hormone (GH).[3] Generally the most noticeable symptom is that an individual attains a short height.[1] Newborns may also present low blood sugar or a small penis size.[2] In adults there may be decreased muscle mass, high cholesterol levels, or poor bone density.[1]

GHD can be present at birth or develop later in life.[1] Causes may include genetics, trauma, infections, tumors, or radiation therapy.[2] Genes that may be involved include GH1, GHRHR, or BTK.[3] In a third of cases no cause is apparent.[2] The underlying mechanism generally involves problems with the pituitary gland.[2] Some cases are associated with a lack of other pituitary hormones, in which case it is known as combined pituitary hormone deficiency.[4] Diagnosis involves blood tests to measure growth hormone levels.[2]

Treatment is by growth hormone replacement using synthetic human growth hormone.[1] The frequency of the condition is unclear.[2] Most cases are initially noticed in children.[1] The genetic forms of this disease are estimated to affect about 1 in 7,000 people.[3] Most types occur equally in males and females though males are more often diagnosed.[2]

Severe prenatal deficiency of GH, as occurs in congenital hypopituitarism, has little effect on fetal growth. However, prenatal and congenital deficiency can reduce the size of a male's penis, especially when gonadotropins are also deficient. Besides micropenis in males, additional consequences of severe deficiency in the first days of life can include hypoglycemia and exaggerated jaundice (both direct and indirect hyperbilirubinemia).[citation needed]

Even congenital GH deficiency does not usually impair length growth until after the first few months of life. From late in the first year until mid-teens, poor growth and/or shortness is the hallmark of childhood GH deficiency. Growth is not as severely affected in GH deficiency as in untreated hypothyroidism, but growth at about half the usual velocity for age is typical. It tends to be accompanied by delayed physical maturation so that bone maturation and puberty may be several years delayed. When severe GH deficiency is present from birth and never treated, adult heights can be as short as 48-65inches (122165cm).[citation needed]

Severe GH deficiency in early childhood also results in slower muscular development, so that gross motor milestones such as standing, walking, and jumping may be delayed. Body composition (i.e., the relative amounts of bone, muscle, and fat) is affected in many children with severe deficiency, so that mild to moderate chubbiness is common (though GH deficiency alone rarely causes severe obesity). Some severely GH-deficient children have recognizable, cherubic facial features characterized by maxillary hypoplasia and forehead prominence.[citation needed]

Other side effects in children include sparse hair growth and frontal recession, and pili torti and trichorrhexis nodosa are also sometimes present.[5]:501

Recognised effects include:[6][7]

Growth hormone deficiency in childhood commonly has no identifiable cause (idiopathic), and adult-onset GHD is commonly due to pituitary tumours and their treatment or to cranial irradiation.[8] A more complete list of causes includes:

There are a variety of rare diseases that resemble GH deficiency, including the childhood growth failure, facial appearance, delayed bone age, and low insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels. However, GH testing elicits normal or high levels of GH in the blood, demonstrating that the problem is not due to a deficiency of GH but rather to a reduced sensitivity to its action. Insensitivity to GH is traditionally termed Laron dwarfism, but over the last 15 years many different types of GH resistance have been identified, primarily involving mutations of the GH binding protein or receptors.[citation needed]

As an adult ages, it is normal for the pituitary to produce diminishing amounts of GH and many other hormones, particularly the sex steroids. Physicians therefore distinguish between the natural reduction in GH levels which comes with age, and the much lower levels of "true" deficiency. Such deficiency almost always has an identifiable cause, with adult-onset GHD without a definable cause ("idiopathic GH deficiency") extremely rare.[12] GH does function in adulthood to maintain muscle and bone mass and strength, and has poorly understood effects on cognition and mood.[citation needed]

Although GH can be readily measured in a blood sample, testing for GH deficiency is constrained by the fact that levels are nearly undetectable for most of the day. This makes simple measurement of GH in a single blood sample useless for detecting deficiency. Physicians therefore use a combination of indirect and direct criteria in assessing GHD, including:[citation needed]

"Provocative tests" involve giving a dose of an agent that will normally provoke a pituitary to release a burst of growth hormone. An intravenous line is established, the agent is given, and small amounts of blood are drawn at 15-minute intervals over the next hour to determine if a rise of GH was provoked. Agents which have been used clinically to stimulate and assess GH secretion are arginine,[13] levodopa, clonidine, epinephrine and propranolol, glucagon and insulin. An insulin tolerance test has been shown to be reproducible, age-independent, and able to distinguish between GHD and normal adults,[13] and so is the test of choice.

Severe GH deficiency in childhood additionally has the following measurable characteristics:

In childhood and adulthood, the diagnosing doctor will look for these features accompanied by corroboratory evidence of hypopituitarism such as deficiency of other pituitary hormones, a structurally abnormal pituitary, or a history of damage to the pituitary. This would confirm the diagnosis; in the absence of pituitary pathology, further testing would be required.

Growth hormone deficiency can be congenital or acquired in childhood or adult life. It can be partial or complete. It is usually permanent, but sometimes transient. It may be an isolated deficiency or occur in association with deficiencies of other pituitary hormones.[citation needed]

The term hypopituitarism is often used interchangeably with GH deficiency but more often denotes GH deficiency plus deficiency of at least one other anterior pituitary hormone. When GH deficiency (usually with other anterior pituitary deficiencies) is associated with posterior pituitary hormone deficiency (usually diabetes insipidus), the condition is termed panhypopituitarism.[14]

GH deficiency is treated by replacing GH with daily injections under the skin or into muscle. Until 1985, growth hormone for treatment was obtained by extraction from human pituitary glands collected at autopsy. Since 1985, recombinant human growth hormone (rHGH) is a recombinant form of human GH produced by genetically engineered bacteria, manufactured by recombinant DNA technology. In both children and adults, costs of treatment in terms of money, effort, and the impact on day-to-day life, are substantial.[citation needed]

GH treatment is not recommended for children who are not growing despite having normal levels of growth hormone, and in the UK it is not licensed for this use.[15] Children requiring treatment usually receive daily injections of growth hormone. Most pediatric endocrinologists monitor growth and adjust dose every 36 months and many of these visits involve blood tests and x-rays. Treatment is usually extended as long as the child is growing, and lifelong continuation may be recommended for those most severely deficient. Nearly painless insulin syringes, pen injectors, or a needle-free delivery system reduce the discomfort. Injection sites include the biceps, thigh, buttocks, and stomach. Injection sites should be rotated daily to avoid lipoatrophy. Treatment is expensive, costing as much as US$10,000 to $40,000 a year in the US.[citation needed]

GH supplementation is not recommended medically for the physiologic age-related decline in GH/IGF secretion.[8][12] It may be appropriate in diagnosed adult-onset deficiency, where a weekly dose of approximately 25% of that given to children is given. Lower doses again are called for in the elderly to reduce the incidence of side effects and maintain age-dependent normal levels of IGF-1.[16]

In many countries, including the UK, the majority view among endocrinologists is that the failure of treatment to provide any demonstrable, measurable benefits in terms of outcomes means treatment is not recommended for all adults with severe GHD,[17] and national guidelines in the UK as set out by NICE suggest three criteria which all need to be met for treatment to be indicated:

Where treatment is indicated, duration is dependent upon indication.

Cost of adult treatment in the UK is 3000-4000 GBP annually.[17]

When treated with GH, a severely deficient child will begin to grow faster within months. In the first year of treatment, the rate of growth may increase from half as fast as other children are growing to twice as fast (e.g., from 1inch a year to 4inches, or 2.5cm to 10). Growth typically slows in subsequent years, but usually remains above normal so that over several years a child who had fallen far behind in his height may grow into the normal height range. Excess adipose tissue may be reduced.[citation needed]

GH treatment can confer a number of measurable benefits to severely GH-deficient adults, such as enhanced energy and strength, and improved bone density. Muscle mass may increase at the expense of adipose tissue. Although adults with hypopituitarism have been shown to have a reduced life expectancy, and a cardiovascular mortality rate of more than double controls,[17] treatment has not been shown to improve mortality, although blood lipid levels do improve. Similarly, although measurements of bone density improve with treatment, rates of fractures have not been shown to improve.[17]

Effects on quality of life are unproven, with a number of studies finding that adults with GHD had near-normal indicators of QoL at baseline (giving little scope for improvement), and many using outdated dosing strategies. However, it may be that those adults with poor QoL at the start of treatment do benefit.[8]

The incidence of idiopathic GHD in infants is about 1 in every 3800 live births,[18] and rates in older children are rising as more children survive childhood cancers which are treated with radiotherapy, although exact rates are hard to obtain.[9]

The incidence of genuine adult-onset GHD, normally due to pituitary tumours, is estimated at 10 per million.[17]

Like many other 19th century medical terms which lost precise meaning as they gained wider currency, "midget" as a term for someone with severe proportional shortness acquired pejorative connotations and is no longer used in a medical context.

Notable modern pop cultural figures with growth hormone deficiency include actor and comedian Andy Milonakis, who has the appearance and voice of an adolescent boy despite being an adult.[19][20] Argentine footballer Lionel Messi was diagnosed at age 10 with growth hormone deficiency and was subsequently treated.[21]

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Growth hormone deficiency - Wikipedia

If your child is growing more slowly than other children or is very short for their age, they might have low levels of a brain hormone called human growth hormone (HGH, or hGH).

Growth hormone is a small protein made in part of the brain called the pituitary gland. It travels in the bloodstream to all tissues in the body to stimulate growth.

Lack of HGH can cause slow growth in children and also problems with fitness and health in adults.

A very high level of HGH can cause children to be abnormally tall. In adults, it can cause overgrowth of bone that disfigures the hands, feet and face a condition called acromegaly.

Until the mid-1980s, the growth hormone used to treat humans was extracted from the donated brains of dead people. However a small number of people treated with such HGH developed Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease (CJD), a brain disease that causes muscle wasting and dementia.

Today synthetic HGH is used. There is no risk now of CJD.

Growth hormone is used to treat children who are not growing or are very short and adults with growth hormone deficiency.

If your child needs treatment with HGH, the Australian government will cover the cost.

If your child needs treatment with HGH, the Australian government may cover the cost. You can check whether your child is eligible on the Services Australia website.

The use of prescribed HGH under medical supervision is generally safe. HGH is given by injection. Some people get a reaction or swelling at the site of injection and a few get headaches.

Some bone problems, like scoliosis, could be worsened if HGH treatment causes rapid growth.

The illegal use of HGH without a prescription, for example to promote muscle growth, is risky. It can cause acromegaly, and possibly diabetes, high blood pressure, liver damage, heart problems and premature aging.

In addition, illegal HGH may not be what it claims to be, so you dont know what you might be injecting.

If you have questions about HGH, or you are concerned about your child's growth, talk to your doctor or call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria).

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Human growth hormone - safe and unsafe use of HGH ...

Growth hormones in sports refers to the use of growth hormones (GH or HGH) for athletic enhancement, as opposed to growth hormone treatment for medical therapy. Human Growth Hormone is a prescription medication in the US, meaning that its distribution and use without a prescription is illegal.[1] There is limited evidence that GH doping improves athletic performance, although the perception that it does is common in the sporting community.[2] Potential side effects of long term GH doping could mirror the symptoms found in sufferers of acromegaly, a disease in which the anterior pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone.[2] These symptoms include swelling of the hands and feet, joint pain, fluid retention, and excessive sweating.[3]

Human growth hormone occurs naturally in the human body where it functions by stimulating growth of essentially all tissues, including bone.[4] Use of exogenous human growth hormone (HGH), via injection, was originally for medical purposes until athletes began abusing HGH with the goal of increasing their abilities. Before recombinant human growth hormone (rHGH) was developed in 1981, HGH was only available by extracting it from the pituitary glands of cadavers.[3] The arrival of rHGH combined with other peptide hormone advancements has increased the availability of HGH on both the legitimate and black markets.[5] The first description of the use of GM as a doping agent was Dan Duchaine's "Underground Steroid handbook" which emerged from California in 1982; it is not known where and when GM was first used this way.[6] In 1989 the International Olympic Committee became the first to brand human growth hormone a banned substance.[5] Although abuse of human growth hormone for athletic purposes is illegal in the U.S., over the past decade it appears that abuse of HGH is present in all levels of sport.[7][8] This is fueled at least in part by the fact that HGH is more difficult to detect than most other performance-enhancing drugs, such as anabolic steroids. This is because rHGH has an identical amino acid sequence to the native isoform of the hormone while GH from cadavers is indistinguishable from endogenous GH.[9] Athletes competing in power sports, bodybuilding, professional wrestling, mixed martial arts, swimming, baseball, strength sports, track and field, cycling, soccer, weight lifting, skiing and endurance sports have been said to abuse human growth hormone, including in combination with other performance-enhancing drugs such as androgenic anabolic steroids including testosterone, certain products which claim to enhance HGH, and erythropoietin (among others).[5][7][8][10]

There has never been an adequately large randomized controlled trial showing definitively that HGH provides benefits to athletes and that there are no significant adverse drug reactions; there have been many small studies and several of these studies were recently reviewed and analyzed in a meta-analysis.[7] While the authors indicated that the meta-analysis was limited by the fact that few of the included studies evaluated athletic performance and by the fact that dosing protocols in the studies may not reflect real-world doses and regimens, their conclusions were as follows:

"Claims that growth hormone enhances physical performance are not supported by the scientific literature. Although the limited available evidence suggests that growth hormone increases lean body mass, it may not improve strength; in addition, it may worsen exercise capacity and increase adverse events. More research is needed to conclusively determine the effects of growth hormone on athletic performance."[7]

With regard to adverse drug reactions, there is data from animal studies that "long-term administration of human growth hormone can increase the risk of diabetes, retention of fluids, joint and muscle pain, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, osteoporosis, irregular menstruation, impotence and elevated HDL cholesterol."[8]

A report from the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on steroid and growth hormone use found that the misguided use of HGH by professional athletes and entertainers was fuelling the industry peddling the drug to the general public for medically inappropriate uses.[11]

Studies have found that HGH reduces body fat[7][10] and increases lean body mass.[7] However, no increase in muscle strength was observed.[7][8] This may be explained by short-term fluid retention.[7]

Researchers are still debating whether the more noticeable muscles are larger in size as well. It should be clarified, though, that muscle mass is not the same as muscle strength. Some say that human growth hormone will build muscle mass through raised insulin-like growth factors levels leading to heightened protein synthesis without any side effects[12] while other researchers argue that there have been no such findings on young healthy adults.[10] The second argument is more supported by research discoveries that HGH affects muscle protein synthesis no differently than a placebo does.[5]

HGH may build up connective tissue within muscles, at least in the short term.[10] If these effects are real they "may promote resistance to injury or faster repair [but] would make the muscle no more capable of force generation".[10] With the release of the Mitchell Report on December 13, 2007, 86 players were revealed to have used performance-enhancing drugs while playing in the Major Leagues. The report stated: "Players who use Human Growth Hormone apparently believe that it assists their ability to recover from injuries and fatigue".[13]

Acromegaly patients, who suffer from natural growth hormone levels of up to 100 times higher than normal, have lower stamina towards physical activity than people with regular levels.[10] When the patients are treated and their growth hormone levels decrease, their stamina improves.[10] This knowledge is part of the evidence behind the new belief that athletes who use supplemental HGH to raise their levels far above average could actually decrease their exercise tolerance, and thus hurt their athletic performance.[10] Further backing was provided in a study done by the Danish Institute of Sports Medicine. They found cyclists of good health and endurance "were unable to complete accustomed cycling tasks after administration of exogenous hGH" and concluded that HGH can inhibit recuperation from exercise.[10] Participants have also been found to have lower stamina after HGH treatment along with higher rates of fatigue.[7] Although adverse side effects can result from excessive doses, typical GH therapy has few side effects and those have likely been overstated due to the excessive amounts administered in earlier studies.[14]

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Growth hormone in sports - Wikipedia

Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is a synthetic (man-made) hormone that is marketed to dairy farmers to increase milk production in cows. It has been used in the United States since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993, but its use is not permitted in the European Union, Canada, and some other countries. This document summarizes what is known about the product and its potential effects on health.

The human form of growth hormone, also calledsomatotropin, is made by the pituitary gland. It promotes growth and cell replication. Bovine growth hormone (BGH), also known asbovinesomatotropin(BST) is the natural form of this hormone in cattle.

Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) or recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) refers to bovine growth hormone that is made in a lab using genetic technology. Some rBGH products on the market differ chemically from a cow's natural somatotropin by one amino acid. Both the natural and recombinant forms of the hormone stimulate a cow's milk production by increasing levels of another hormone known as insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1).

Concerns about possible health effects on humans from milk produced using rBGH have focused on 2 main issues.

First, does drinking milk from rBGH-treated cows increase blood levels of growth hormone or IGF-1 in consumers? If it does, would this be expected to have any health effects in people, including increasing the risk of cancer? Several scientific reviews have looked at these issues and are the main focus of this document.

Second, cows treated with rBGH tend to develop more udder infections (mastitis). These cows are given more antibiotics than cows not given rBGH. Does this increased use of antibiotics lead to more antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and is this a health concern for people? This remains a concern, but it has not been fully examined in humans.

Bovine growth hormone levels are not significantly higher in milk from rBGH-treated cows. On top of this, BGH is not active in humans, so even if it were absorbed from drinking milk, it wouldn't be expected to cause health effects.

Of greater concern is the fact that milk from rBGH-treated cows has higher levels of IGF-1, a hormone that normally helps some types of cells to grow. Several studies have found that IGF-1 levels at the high end of the normal range may influence the development of certain tumors. Some early studies found a relationship between blood levels of IGF-1 and the development ofprostate,breast,colorectal, and other cancers, but later studies have failed to confirm these reports or have found weaker relationships. While there may be a link between IGF-1 blood levels and cancer, the exact nature of this link remains unclear.

Some studies have shown that adults who drink milk have about 10% higher levels of IGF-1 in their blood than those who drink little or no milk. But this same finding has also been reported in people who drink soy milk. This suggests that the increase in IGF-1 may not be specific to cow's milk, and may be caused by protein, minerals, or some other factors in milk unrelated to rBGH. There have been no direct comparisons of IGF-1 levels in people who drink ordinary cow's milk vs. milk stimulated by rBGH.

At this time, it is not clear that drinking milk, produced with or without rBGH treatment, increases blood IGF-1 levels into a range that might be of concern regarding cancer risk or other health effects.

In the early 1990s, the FDA and other organizations looked at 3 questions regarding IGF-1 exposure from rBGH-treated milk. These were:

The available evidence can be summarized as follows:

At least 8 other national and international review committees have evaluated the evidence concerning potential health effects of rBGH on humans and dairy cows. These reviews (and the most recent year they convened) are listed below. Several of these reports document adverse effects on cows, including higher rates of mastitis, foot problems, and injection site reactions.

Although the use of rBGH is still approved in the United States, demand for the product has decreased in recent years. Many large grocery store chains no longer carry milk from cows treated with rBGH. A United States Department of Agriculture survey conducted in 2007 found that less than 1 in 5 cows (17%) were being injected with rBGH.

The available evidence shows that the use of rBGH can cause adverse health effects in cows. The evidence for potential harm to humans is inconclusive. It is not clear that drinking milk produced using rBGH significantly increases IGF-1 levels in humans or adds to the risk of developing cancer. More research is needed to help better address these concerns.

The increased use of antibiotics to treat rBGH-induced mastitis does promote the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but the extent to which these are transmitted to humans is unclear.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has no formal position regarding rBGH.

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Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone - cancer.org

The NBA wont randomly test players for marijuana this season, a continuation of the policy that was put in place for the COVID-19 restart bubble.

The Associated Press reports that drug testing will continue for things such as human growth hormone and performance-enhancers, along with what the league calls drugs of abuse such as methamphetamine, cocaine and opiates.

We have agreed with the NBPA to extend the suspension of random testing for marijuana for the 2021-22 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse, NBA spokesman Mike Bass said Wednesday.

The policy comes as more than half of the states in the U.S., including Michigan, have decriminalized possessing small amounts of marijuana.

The agreement was revealed to players in a memo from the players union, the details of which were first reported by ESPN.

The league didnt test for marijuana last season, either.

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NBA will not randomly test players for marijuana again this season - MLive.com

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BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2021 Oct;9(1):e002399. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2021-002399.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Meal composition is known to affect glycemic variability and glucose control in type 1 diabetes. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of high carbohydrate meals of different nutritional composition and alcohol on the postprandial glucose response in patients with type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Twelve participants were recruited to this randomized crossover trial. Following a 4-week run-in period, participants received a mixed meal on three occasions with the same carbohydrate content but different macronutrient composition: high protein-high fat with alcohol (0.7g/kg body weight, beer), high protein-high fat without alcohol, and low protein-low fat without alcohol at 2-week intervals. Plasma and interstitial glucose, insulin, glucagon, growth hormone, cortisol, alcohol, free fatty acids, lactate, and pH concentrations were measured during 6 hours. A statistical analysis was then carried out to determine significant differences between studies.

RESULTS: Significantly higher late postprandial glucose was observed in studies with higher content of fats and proteins (p=0.0088). This was associated with lower time in hypoglycemia as compared with the low protein and fat study (p=0.0179), at least partially due to greater glucagon concentration in the same period (p=0.04). Alcohol significantly increased lactate, decreased pH and growth hormone, and maintained free fatty acids suppressed during the late postprandial phase (p<0.001), without significant changes in plasma glucose.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the addition of proteins and fats to carbohydrates increases late postprandial blood glucose. Moreover, alcohol consumption together with a mixed meal has relevant metabolic effects without any increase in the risk of hypoglycemia, at least 6 hours postprandially.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03320993.

PMID:34620620 | DOI:10.1136/bmjdrc-2021-002399

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Effect of meal composition and alcohol consumption on postprandial glucose concentration in subjects with type 1 diabetes: a randomized crossover...

Jay Underwood drove to the nearby WinCo on March 17 to buy some cabbage and other groceries to prepare a late-night St. Patricks Day dinner.

It should have been a quick trip just three blocks away, but he didnt return. His wife kept calling and texting and then grumbling when he didnt respond.

Becky Underwood checked her Life360 family locator app, which placed him at the store off Northeast 122nd Avenue based on his phones GPS location.

She sent her son, Jeffrey Casey, to go find him.

When Casey arrived at WinCo, he found the store cordoned off with yellow police tape and police cars surrounding it.

He saw his mothers white Toyota Avalon parked in the lot. Underwood, his stepfather, had taken the car to the store.

Casey told the first officer he saw, Im looking for my father.

Police had him stay put and a detective eventually questioned him in a mobile command center set up outside the store.

Casey said he wasnt told what had happened.

Becky Underwood, meanwhile, had been watching TV and learned someone had been shot inside the WinCo.

I knew his phone was inside that store, she said. My first thought was he was being held up as a witness.

Hours later, Portland homicide Detective Brad Clifton arrived at their home. He told them Jay Underwood had been shot and killed inside the WinCo.

Court records and interviews by The Oregonian/OregonLive reveal the breadth of the crime and its strikingly public nature -- a fatal shooting in a crowded store followed by an armed carjacking in the parking lot.

Prosecutors, a defense attorney and family members all have indicated they dont know what provoked the shooting.

It could have involved drugs or might have been spurred when the alleged gunmans ex-girlfriend called Underwood moments before he was killed, police and a prosecutor said in court. But they dont know for sure, they said.

Jay Underwood was the 21st person to die in a homicide in Portland in a year on pace to set a record for violent deaths in the city.

FOR MORE ON THE PEOPLE WHO DIED, NEW DETAILS OF CASES, go to Portland Homicides: Under the Gun

I havent accepted it yet, Becky Underwood said in late July, three months after the shooting, as she sat with her son outside their home.

In my mind, hes going to come around the corner from that shed over there and come in, she said. It doesnt seem real. I do know hes gone, but I just expect to see him come home anytime because he was always here.

SHOT IN THE BREAD AISLE

Jay Underwood pulled into the WinCo lot at 9:43 p.m., the stores surveillance video shows.

His friend Blake Daniels had stopped by their home earlier and then rode with him to the store but stayed behind in the car as Underwood entered the store alone.

Less than 10 minutes later, the video shows Daniels emerging from the Toyota and heading into WinCo as well, dressed in a dark coat, rust-colored hat and green shoes with tan soles.

He walked past the shelves of bread holding a gallon jug of water and stopped briefly at a rack by a checkout aisle.

He grabbed a box of Hostess cupcakes and walked back along the bread shelves. He got to the end of the aisle before he turned around, slowly walked back, reached into his right pocket, pulled a gun out and appeared to fire it at close range at a man standing in front of the rows of bread, according to the video.

The man, Underwood, instantly crumbled to the floor.

Daniels didnt break his gait, turned and ran out a checkstand aisle.

He had been in the WinCo for only two minutes, according to the video and Clifton, the homicide detective.

Police found Underwood lying face up on the floor between the bread aisle and a row of cashier lines. A single 40-caliber shell casing lay about 10 feet from his body. He was dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the chest, Clifton testified in court.

Video surveillance footage from the WinCo on March 17, 2021 shows Jay Underwood's friend, Blake Maurice Daniels, who is accused of shooting Underwood once in the chest inside the store and then walking out, holding a jug of water and cupcakes, before carjacking a vehicle in the parking lot, police say.Surveillance video

Outside the store, Daniels walked up to an occupied Subaru Forester that had just pulled into the parking lot and climbed into the back seat on the drivers side, video shows.

Holding a black handgun, he ordered the motorist to drive, according to the detective. The driver and his wife quickly bailed out of their car and Daniels took off in it.

Investigators who arrived at the scene reviewed the video and interviewed Underwoods stepson, then distributed a flier with Daniels photo and description of the stolen Subaru.

The next morning, police found Daniels and arrested him at the Rodeway Inn near Northeast 97th Avenue and Sandy Boulevard, according to the detective.

The Subaru was discovered on a dead-end street at Northeast 106th Avenue near San Raphael Street, with the keys left inside. A nearby resident reported it to police.

Not far from the abandoned SUV, police found a dark-colored jacket and a discarded rust-colored beanie, Clifton said.

Jay Underwood, left, Becky Underwood and her son, Jeffrey Casey, on vacation in Mexico in 1996. Photo courtesy of Becky Underwood

PHONE CALL PRECEDED SHOOTING

Police patted down Daniels. He had a black case on him containing two bags of methamphetamine and a bag of heroin, they said.

His ex-girlfriend, Heather Marie Casillas, told officers that Daniels began dealing drugs -- methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and OxyContin -- after he was laid off during the coronavirus pandemic, Clifton testified.

She told police Daniels was dealing drugs with Underwood and by November 2020, the two were together on a regular basis -- almost every day for months, the detective testified.

Daniels also was using human growth hormone and steroids and had become increasingly angry and volatile, she said, according to the court records. They had broken up in recent weeks.

On the evening of March 17, Casillas called Jay Underwood to see if he knew where Daniels was. She planned to retrieve some belongings from an apartment she had shared with Daniels and wanted to make sure he wasnt there when she stopped by.

Underwood didnt answer her first call. But they connected by phone at 9:48 p.m. when Underwood was in the WinCo. He told her he was shopping and that Daniels was with him, waiting out in the car.

He said hed call her back. He never did.

Police investigators and the prosecutor said they dont know exactly what prompted the shooting.

Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marrero said in court that it could have had something to do with a drug deal or the fact that Daniels ex-girlfriend was calling Jay Underwood and he took her call.

There are multiple potential motives here, she said.

William Walsh, Daniels lawyer, argued at a bail hearing that prosecutors failed to prove any animosity between the two men. They both arrived at the store together and there was no evidence of a fight or dispute, he said.

It doesnt seem to be as rational as one would think, Walsh said.

We were a happy couple, Becky Underwood said. "Everyone has their moments. But being together for so long, we finally figured out all that stupid stuff. Photo courtesy of Becky Underwood

HE DID EVERYTHING FOR ME

Jay Underwood had told his wife he didnt want a funeral when he died.

He really enjoyed life. He said, Have a party, Becky Underwood recalled.

She respected his wishes. She planned instead to host a celebration of his life, but hasnt yet.

She said she has no idea what propelled the killing. Both she and her son said they were surprised to learn at a court hearing that Jay Underwood had anything to do with drug dealing.

Becky Underwood said she needs some way to let out her rage and has considered going to the beach to just scream.

Her husband, she said, had been her caretaker for about the past 10 years after working 24 years for ADP, the human resources software provider. He supported her as she battled breast cancer, struggled with a detached retina and most recently suffered hip pain that hampered her ability to walk.

He did everything for me, she said. Despite her efforts to help out, He cooked all the meals. He always said, I just want you to be comfortable.

Jay Underwood was born in Boise, lived in Spokane as a child and later moved to Portland. He would have turned 61 on July 3. He and his wife would have celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on Aug. 24.

He had many interests. He loved to barbecue and cook -- prime rib and carbonara were among his favorites. He and his wife used to go camping in Newport and enjoyed vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

At one time, he was president of a local Mopar car club and the couple attended car shows across the state. He enjoyed fixing cars and would head out the door at all hours to help neighbors and friends whose cars had broken down or run out of gas, his wife said.

He considered starting his own contracting company because he was very much a fixer or would make something to fix something, Becky Underwood said.

He and Daniels had talked about perhaps starting a carpet-cleaning business in the future, she said.

Police say Blake Maurice Daniels fatally shot Jay Underwood inside a WinCo in Northeast Portland on March 17, 2021, and then carjacked a Subaru that was occupied and in the parking lot as he walked out of the store. The stolen Subaru was found three days later on Northeast 106th Avenue, according to police and prosecutors.Court exhibit

SUSPECT HAD RECENT ARREST

Earlier this summer, Becky Underwood attended Daniels bail hearing at the Multnomah County Courthouse.

She said she was sad and surprised to see Daniels. But I got satisfaction seeing him all chained up, she said.

Before the prosecutor played the WinCo video that captured the shooting, she left the courtroom. She said she couldnt bear to see it.

Less than two weeks before the killing, Daniels had been arrested on allegations that he came after his ex-girlfriend, Casillas, with a rifle when she tried to gather some of her things from the apartment. He was accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon and menacing.

Three days later, Daniels was placed on supervised release on the weapons charges pending trial, and prosecutors dropped the menacing charge.

He was ordered not to have a gun and to report to a supervision officer on March 9 , ten days before Underwoods killing. He never reported, according to court records.

Daniels is now being held without bail on an 11-count indictment. Hes pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm, two counts of unlawful use of a firearm, one count of first-degree robbery with a gun, two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of methamphetamine, possession of heroin and delivery of meth and delivery of heroin.

Although the neighborhood WinCo used to be their go-to grocery store, neither Becky Underwood nor her son will step back inside again, they said.

Casey said hes moved back in with his mother and is watching over her now.

Becky Underwood is left with her last memory of her husband, quickly kissing her goodbye before he left for the store. We sort of just brushed lips, she said.

I never thought it would happen to me... always thought it would happen to someone else, she said. You just dont know when someone walks out your door.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian

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Jay Underwood went to the neighborhood store to pick up some groceries and never came home - oregonlive.com