Investigators in Oregon are working to identify five people found dead on a rural property outside Portland after the man they named as the sole suspect was discovered dead of an apparent suicide nearly 200 miles away in Washington state.
Washington County sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call about a vehicle fire Saturday morning in an unincorporated area outside Forest Grove, a small city roughly 25 miles west of Portland. Firefighters who arrived at the scene found far more than a burning car. On the surrounding rural property, they discovered the bodies of five people and several domestic animals, all dead. By Sunday, the Washington County Sheriff's Office had identified 36-year-old Benjamin Charles Parker as the suspect, and announced he, too, was dead.
Officers from the Enumclaw Police Department, in a small Washington state city about 190 miles to the northeast, located Parker's vehicle and found him deceased inside. The sheriff's office said it believes he died by suicide.
Washington County Sheriff Caprice Massey addressed reporters Sunday night and confirmed that Parker "was known to the subjects", meaning investigators do not believe the killings were random. She did not disclose the nature of that relationship or offer any motive.
Massey made clear just how unusual the case is for her agency:
"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."
She also acknowledged the toll on the surrounding community. The New York Post reported Massey telling residents that investigators "have dedicated every available resource to this case."
Detective Shannon Wilde, speaking at a Sunday news conference, described the property as a "large scene" in a rural area with "some other homes around" and "a lot of vegetation." Wilde said detectives are still working to confirm the identities of the five victims. None have been publicly named.
The grim discovery began with what seemed like a routine emergency call. The New York Post reported that the initial 911 call came in just before 5:30 a.m. Saturday, reporting a vehicle fire on the remote property. Firefighters who responded found the bodies.
Authorities have not said whether the vehicle fire was connected to the killings or simply the event that drew first responders to the scene. The causes of death for the five victims have not been released. Investigators have likewise not disclosed how many animals were killed or what species they were.
Fox News reported that Parker's body was found in his vehicle behind a Safeway store in Enumclaw, a city roughly 50 miles southwest of Seattle. The distance between the crime scene and the location where Parker was found, approximately 190 miles, raises questions about the timeline between the killings and his death that investigators have not yet answered publicly.
Detective Wilde underscored the logistical challenge facing the department.
"Any time you have one person deceased, let alone five, that's a logistical challenge."
The sheriff's office said there is no continued threat to the public. But the list of unknowns remains long. Investigators have not said who owned or lived on the property. They have not explained what led them to identify Parker as the suspect, or whether any charges had been prepared before his death. Parker's connection to Enumclaw, whether he lived there, fled there, or had some other reason to be nearly 200 miles from the crime scene, remains unexplained.
Five people are dead. Several animals are dead. The only person authorities have identified as responsible will never face a courtroom. For the families waiting to learn whether their loved ones are among the victims, and for a rural community shaken by a scene even a veteran sheriff had never encountered, the answers cannot come fast enough.
