Authorities have identified Benjamin Charles Parker, 36, as the suspect in a quintuple homicide that occurred early Saturday morning on a rural property outside Portland, Oregon. Parker allegedly killed his girlfriend, Stella Jade Kimsey, 26, her mother, Rowan Karla Kimsey, 60, and her grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Kimsey, 85. Also found dead at the scene were Stella's best friend, Linsey Mae Haraldsen, 26, and her partner, Alvin Raymond Chu, 27.
Deputies responding to a call about a vehicle fire at the property discovered the five bodies. During the initial response, two cats and two dogs were also found dead, and a third cat required euthanasia due to its injuries. Washington County Sheriff Caprice Massey described the scene as complex, stating, "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."
The Washington County Sheriff's Office identified Parker as a suspect after discovering the bodies at the residence where he lived with Kimsey. Investigators tracked Parker's cellphone, which indicated his presence in Enumclaw, Washington, approximately three hours away. Using license plate data from a stolen victim's vehicle in a Flock camera system, authorities determined Parker had entered Enumclaw multiple times without leaving the area.
Enumclaw police located Parker deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside one of the victim's stolen vehicles. A firearm was found in his hand, but no other weapons were present in the car. Evidence from the vehicle has been sent to the Washington County Sheriff's Office for further analysis.
The motive for the killings remains unclear, and it is also unknown if Parker set a vehicle on fire at the property before fleeing. Firefighters from the Forest Grove Fire Department were the first to discover the bodies when they responded to the vehicle fire at approximately 5:27 a.m. Saturday.
Investigators took more than 24 hours to release information to the public due to the complexity of the crime scene and the ongoing investigation. The Washington County Sheriff's Office Detective Unit is leading the investigation with support from the Washington County Major Crimes Team. Oregon state forensics teams, K9 units, and county animal services are assisting in processing the scene. The livestock on the property have since been rehomed.
Mary Elizabeth Kimsey, the grandmother, was remembered by neighbors in Portland as a retired school teacher who enjoyed gardening. Her ex-boyfriend, Devin Allys, 27, was contacted by a deputy on Sunday who inquired about Stella Kimsey and other residents of the property. Allys had dated Stella Kimsey for over four years and lived at the main house on the property when they were together.