Timeline released in murder-suicide that left 5 dead in Forest Grove, Oregon

Benjamin Charles Parker planned and carried out the killings of his girlfriend and four other people at a rural property outside Forest Grove, Oregon, before fleeing and dying by suicide, investigators confirmed. The suspect also killed five animals and tried to burn the victims’ bodies, the home and other structures.

Detective Mark Povolny of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit provided a detailed update Tuesday, outlining the investigation’s findings and the timeline from the killings to the suspect’s death.

The victims were found shortly after 5 a.m. Saturday at 47350 Northwest Otis Lane, where a neighbor had reported a fire near his property. The neighbor found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames in the driveway but could not see the bodies because of the fire and darkness.

Firefighters extinguishing the vehicle and a small brush fire found two bodies that appeared to have been shot in the head. Deputies arrived within four minutes after firefighters withdrew from the area, and soon found all five victims while checking the rural property’s numerous buildings, sheds and structures.

All five bodies were found in or near the driveway by the main home. Alvin Raymond Chu was inside the burned vehicle, while Mary Elizabeth Kimsey was found on the ground outside it.

Stella Jade Kimsey was inside another vehicle in the driveway, Linsey Mae Haraldsen was on the ground nearby, and Rowan Karla Kimsey was found on a walkway near the driveway and home.

Rowan lived at the property with her daughter, Stella, and Stella’s boyfriend, Parker. Stella and the suspect, Parker, lived in the main home, while Rowan lived in another building.

Mary was Rowan’s mother and Stella’s grandmother, Linsey was Stella’s best friend, and Alvin was Linsey’s partner.

Investigators said Mary, Rowan, Stella and Linsey were each shot multiple times. They believe Alvin was likely killed in the same manner.

Evidence indicated that each victim was shot with a .22-caliber firearm, and investigators found numerous shell casings near the bodies.

The suspect also set individual fires at the bodies, including an attempt to burn the vehicle containing Stella’s body. He also tried to set fire to the carport and main home but was unsuccessful.

Initial reports that some victims may have been duct-taped proved incorrect. Investigators said Parker covered the bodies on the ground with tarps before setting them on fire, and melted pieces of the tarps resembled duct tape.

Deputies found two dead cats and one dead dog inside the main home, along with another dead dog near the back of the property. An injured cat was later found inside the home and euthanized Monday despite emergency veterinary care. Investigators said all five animals had been shot.

Police believe Parker killed Stella first after she told him to leave the property following what Mary described in a text message to a friend as a “horrible fight” between the couple. The confrontation happened either Thursday evening or early Friday.

Linsey was speaking to Stella by phone when their call suddenly dropped. After Linsey was unable to reach Stella again, she called Rowan, who said she would check on her daughter and call back. Rowan never called back.

Investigators believe the Parker then killed Rowan when she went to check on Stella. Linsey drove to the property to check on them, and police believe the suspect killed her as well.

Mary later told her out-of-state friend that she could not reach Rowan, Stella or Linsey and would pick up Alvin before driving to the property. Investigators believe Parker killed Mary and Alvin after they arrived.

Mary had previously told the friend that Parker could become very upset during arguments with Stella and that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder following a mental health evaluation.

Detectives found prescription bottles related to mental health treatment with Parker’s name on them, but said toxicology results will be needed to determine whether he was taking the medication as prescribed.

Phone records showed Parker was at the property Friday evening and into early Saturday. At 4:42 a.m., his phone left the property and moved south toward Forest Grove before traveling east into Cornelius, Oregon, where it was turned off at 5:15 a.m.

The phone was turned back on at 7:55 p.m. Saturday near Enumclaw, Washington, where Parker made a lengthy call to his mother. During that call, his mother later told detectives, Parker confessed to the killings.

He said he had been planning the attack for some time and that it was premeditated. Parker said he intended to kill three people but that two additional people were also killed. He also confessed to killing the animals, setting the fires and trying to burn down the property.

He said he drove until he ran out of gas and knew he would face greater punishment because the killings were premeditated, but was not prepared to face the consequences and intended to kill himself.

He did not identify the people he had killed, explain a motive or say where he was. His phone was turned off at 9:11 p.m. Saturday after the call with his mother and was never turned back on.

Investigators received the phone-location information on Sunday and began preparing an arrest warrant charging Parker with five counts of first-degree murder.

Detectives also contacted law enforcement in the Enumclaw area and sent a bulletin to western states after identifying the silver Toyota Tacoma he had been driving.

An Enumclaw police officer found the truck shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday. Flock cameras showed it had been in the area Saturday night.

Officers found Parker inside after he failed to respond to commands to surrender, and he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The suspect used a .22-caliber handgun, which investigators believe was the same weapon used in the killings.

Statement from the Kimsey family:

“Mary was the matriarch of our wide and close-knit family. She was a caring person to her family and her community. She was also a spiritual person who was an activist for people, nature and the earth.

Stella was incredibly passionate and fiercely loving. When she believed in something, she never gave up or backed down. Farm life was what she was born to do, and she was never happier than when she was living out on the land.

Rowan was an incredibly talented and dedicated artist, both traditional and tattoo. She trained many artists in the Pacific Northwest who carry her teaching and mentorship on in their work. She had a delightfully sharp wit and loved every new adventure.

They all adored animals, being out in nature and, above all, each other and their family. It would make them very happy to know that the farm animals have found a good life where they will be well cared for. We thank the sheriff’s office and anyone else involved for ensuring they found the right home.

Linsey Haraldsen was a beloved part of our family, too. She was as much a sister to Stella’s sister Alexis as Stella was, and they were inseparable for many years. She was sweet and funny, and she was the kind of friend to Stella and others that everyone deserved to have.

We sadly did not knew Alvin, but he must have been a very special person for Linsey to have loved him and for Mary, Rowan and Stella to have liked him as much and as sincerely as we know they did.”

Stella’s sister, Alexis, asked the public to show Parker’s family the same respect and care being shown to the Kimsey family, saying they are also facing “an unimaginable loss and immense grief of their own.”

The post Timeline released in murder-suicide that left 5 dead in Forest Grove, Oregon appeared first on BNO News.

Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief