RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. A man murdered his girlfriend before slaying her mother, grandmother, best friend and the best friend's partner, setting fire to four of their bodies, slaughtering pets and attempting to burn down the family home, police have said.
Benjamin Charles Parker , 36, killed his 26-year-old girlfriend, Stella Jade Kimsey, before killing her mother, Rowan Karla Kimsey, 60, who drove out to the rural Washington County home she owned to check on her daughter early Saturday, police said.
He then killed Stella Kimsey's best friend, Linsey Mae Haraldsen, 26, of Portland who had come to check on the mother and daughter. Haraldsen's partner, Alvin Raymond Chu, 27, was killed alongside Stella Kimsey's 85-year-old grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Kimsey, after the pair arrived at the property near Forest Grove, about 30 miles west of downtown Portland.
Two dogs and two cats were found shot and killed, while another cat found injured was later euthanized.
Lead investigator detective Mark Pavoni told reporters on Tuesday that Mary Kimsey texted a friend about 8:30 p.m. on Friday.
"Mary said Stella and Mr. Parker got into a horrible fight sometime during either Thursday evening or overnight into the early hours of Friday morning and Stella told him he had to leave," the detective said.
"Lindsay, Stella's best friend, told Mary she was on the phone with Stella around that time when the call suddenly dropped. Lindsay couldn't get Stella on the phone again, so she called up to the property to talk to Stella's mom, Rowan. Rowan told Lindsay she was going to go check on Stala and would call Lindsay back. Rowan did not call Lindsay back."
All five victims were shot with a .22 caliber gun, Pavoni told reporters on Tuesday. Stella Kimsey, her mother, grandmother and best friend were all shot multiple times, he added.
Alvin Chu was found inside a vehicle at the property, Povolny said. Mary Kimsey was found on the ground outside that vehicle. Stella Kimsey was found inside a second vehicle in the driveway, while Haraldsen was found on the ground nearby. Rowan Kimsey was found on a walkway close to the driveway and the house.
The vehicle containing Chu was set on fire, and fires were also individually set at the locations of the other four victims. An attempt was made to burn the vehicle containing Stella, as well as the main house.
Initial reports from the scene indicated that some victims may have been restrained with duct tape, but detectives later determined that was not the case.
The detective said Parker passed first responding fire trucks as he fled, drove until he ran out of gas, and called his mother.
"He said he had been planning this for a while and that it was premeditated.He said he planned to kill three people, but two more people were also killed, Pavoni said of the call. "He confessed to killing the animals, setting the fires, and trying to burn the property down."
"He knew he would face more punishment because it was premeditated and indicated he was not prepared to face those consequences and was going to kill himself. He did not identify who he killed or explain a motive.".
Investigators believe the killings followed a dispute between the suspect and his girlfriend.
The investigation, including forensic and laboratory work, is expected to continue for several months.
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