Five people were found dead at a rural property near Forest Grove, Oregon, after first responders answered a call Saturday morning about a vehicle fire, according to a Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) news release cited in multiple reports.
‘Quite this complex,’ sheriff tells AP
Washington County Sheriff Caprice Massey said, “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,” according to the Associated Press.
The sheriff’s office later said investigators also discovered the remains of “several domestic animals,” and that detectives did not believe the case was a random act of violence, per WCSO updates referenced in media reports. Authorities had not released the identities of the five human victims as of Sunday afternoon; CBS News reported that work to confirm the victims’ identities was ongoing at that time.
Suspect identified, then found dead in another state
On Sunday, the WCSO said it had located and identified a suspect in connection with the killings: 36-year-old Benjamin Charles Parker. He was found dead in a car in Enumclaw, Washington — roughly 200 miles north of the Oregon scene — according to the sheriff’s office. KOIN-TV reported the vehicle containing Parker’s body was discovered behind a Safeway grocery store.
The source report stated Parker’s death was believed to be a suicide. A WCSO representative told Blaze News on Monday that no additional information would be released until next of kin were notified.
What’s still unknown
Authorities have not publicly released the victims’ names, their relationships (if any) to each other or to Parker, the causes of death, or a timeline of events. The sheriff’s office had not provided further details as of the latest updates cited above.
