Discovery and Investigation

Five people were found dead on a rural property near Forest Grove, Oregon, on Saturday, prompting a quintuple homicide investigation, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Responders had been called to the property early Saturday morning after a report of a vehicle fire, and discovered the remains of five people along with several domestic animals.

Detective Shannon Wilde of the sheriff’s office said at a Sunday news conference that investigators were still working to identify the victims. “Any time you have one person deceased, let alone five, that’s a logistical challenge,” Wilde said, citing the complexity of the investigation and the large crime scene. She noted that authorities were trying to notify next of kin while conducting an “active investigation with a lot of moving pieces,” and that they wanted to release accurate details responsibly.

Sheriff Caprice Massey described the scene as unprecedented in her career. “I will say that in my 22 years here, I have not been a part of or witnessed a scene quite this complex involving this type of an investigation,” Massey said, urging anyone familiar with the property or its residents to come forward.

Suspect Found Dead

On Sunday, the sheriff’s office identified 36-year-old Benjamin Charles Parker as the suspect. Officers from the Enumclaw Police Department in Washington state located Parker’s vehicle and found him deceased inside. Authorities said they believe he died by suicide, and that there was no ongoing threat to the public.

According to reports from multiple outlets, investigators tracked Parker to Enumclaw by pinging his cellphone. Enumclaw Police Chief Tim Floyd said Washington County detectives contacted his department shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday. Detectives believed Parker had stolen one of the victim’s vehicles, a Toyota 4Runner, and used automated license plate readers to track it in Enumclaw. Officers later found the vehicle behind a Safeway market and approached with ballistic shields and a drone. Parker was found dead inside with a small-caliber gun in his hand.

Authorities did not initially disclose details about the victims or the possible relationship between Parker and them. However, Sheriff Massey said detectives believed Parker “was known to the subjects,” and investigators said the killings did not appear to be a random act.

Victims Identified

On Monday, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office released the identities of the five victims: Mary Elizabeth Kimsey, 85, of Portland; Rowan Karla Kimsey, 60, of Forest Grove; Stella Jade Kimsey, 26, of Forest Grove; Linsey Mae Haraldsen, 26, of Portland; and Alvin Raymond Chu, 27, of Portland.

According to a sheriff’s office press release, Stella Kimsey was Parker’s girlfriend, and Rowan Kimsey was her mother, with Mary Kimsey her grandmother. Haraldsen was Stella Kimsey’s best friend, and Chu was Haraldsen’s partner. Rowan Kimsey owned and lived at the Northwest Otis Lane property where the bodies were found, and both Stella Kimsey and Parker also lived there.

Officials reported that two cats and two dogs were also found dead on the property, with another cat later euthanized at a veterinary clinic due to injuries. Livestock at the property have been rehomed.

Investigative Details and Community Response

The investigation began around 5:30 a.m. Saturday when firefighters responded to a burning car at 47350 Northwest Otis Lane. Dispatch audio, obtained by KATU, captured firefighters reporting findings. One firefighter said, “We do have a deceased victim here. We are going to need law enforcement.” Another radioed, “We need a police unit, or a sheriff’s office unit code 3 at the scene,” adding, “Just in case, we have two victims here.” A third said, “We’re going to take our hoses and get out of here, and let the sheriff’s office clear this.”

Devin Allys, 27, who said she was Stella Kimsey’s ex-girlfriend, told The Oregonian she received a call from a sheriff’s detective Sunday morning expressing concern about Stella and asking about who lived on the property. Allys described the roughly 14-acre property as having a long gravel driveway, a main house, a cabin down the hill, and livestock including sheep, chickens, and goats.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has not disclosed the causes of death for the five victims, though The Oregonian reported that firefighters found at least one body with a gunshot wound to the head and that duct tape was found around some bodies. The vehicle fire and the presence of dead animals have not been fully explained.

No arrests were made before Parker’s death, and authorities said no one else is in custody. The sheriff’s office urges anyone with information to contact the Washington County non-emergency dispatch line at 503-629-0111 and reference case number 50-26-11866.