Washington County investigators detail timeline of five-person homicide near Forest Grove
Authorities identified 36-year-old Benjamin Charles Parker as the suspect in a Friday mass shooting that killed five people and several animals; Parker later died by suicide in Washington.
Washington County investigators released a step-by-step account of a Friday night shooting that left five victims dead near Forest Grove, Oregon. The suspect, identified as 36-year-old Benjamin Charles Parker, fled the scene and was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Enumclaw, Washington, on Sunday.
Detective Mark Pavoni said the violence began after a domestic dispute between Parker and his girlfriend, Stella Jade Kimsey, late Thursday or early Friday. Parker allegedly shot Stella, then killed her mother Rowan Karla Kimsey when she arrived to check on her daughter. Linsey Mae Haraldsen, Stella’s best friend, was killed after driving to the property, and later Mary Elizabeth Kimsey, an 85-year-old grandmother, and Alvin Raymond Chu, a 27-year-old partner of Haraldsen, were shot as they attempted to reach the house. All victims were struck with a .22-caliber firearm, and three cats and two dogs on the property were also killed.
At approximately 4:42 a.m. on Saturday, cell-phone data showed Parker leaving the residence in a silver Toyota Tacoma registered to Rowan Kimsey. He covered the bodies with tarps and set fires at the four bodies, the home, a carport, and the vehicle containing Stella’s remains. Neighbors called 911 at 5:27 a.m. after noticing a fire; firefighters discovered a burning vehicle and two bodies.
Parker’s mother reported that he called her from Enumclaw at 7:55 p.m. Saturday, confessing that the attack was premeditated and that he had originally intended to kill three people but ended up killing five. Police recovered the Tacoma behind a Safeway store and found Parker dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound shortly before 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The victims were identified as Mary Elizabeth Kimsey, 85; Rowan Karla Kimsey, 60; Stella Jade Kimsey, 26; Linsey Mae Haraldsen, 26; and Alvin Raymond Chu, 27. A family statement described the deceased as close-knit members of the community and asked for compassion toward the Parker family during their grief.