In the early morning hours of Saturday, August 22, 2026, a quiet, rural property in Forest Grove, Oregon, became the scene of a horrific discovery. First responders, initially dispatched to what was reported as a vehicle fire at 5:27 a.m., soon realized the situation was far more tragic. Upon extinguishing the flames, human remains were found, prompting an immediate and extensive investigation by the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
The property, owned by 60-year-old Rowan Karla Kimsey, would soon be known as the location of a quintuple homicide that claimed the lives of three generations of one family and two of their friends.
As detectives began the complex and grim task of processing the large crime scene, the identities of the victims were confirmed. Alongside Rowan Kimsey, authorities found her 85-year-old mother, Mary Elizabeth Kimsey of Portland, and Rowan's 26-year-old child, Stella Jade Kimsey, who also resided at the Forest Grove home. The other victims were identified as Stella's best friend, 26-year-old Linsey Mae Haraldsen, and her partner, 27-year-old Alvin Raymond Chu, both from Portland. The brutality of the crime extended beyond the human victims; two dogs and two cats were also found deceased on the property. A third cat was discovered injured and, despite veterinary care, had to be euthanized due to the severity of its injuries.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on a single suspect: 36-year-old Benjamin Charles Parker. Parker was identified as Stella Kimsey's boyfriend and lived with her at the Forest Grove property owned by her mother, Rowan. While law enforcement was piecing together the events that led to the five deaths, they tracked Parker to Enumclaw, Washington. However, before an arrest could be made, officers from the Enumclaw Police Department located Parker's vehicle and found him deceased inside from what was believed to be a suicide. With the sole suspect in the quintuple homicide now dead, the community was left to grapple with the senseless loss of five lives. The motive for the killings has not been released. This case represents a tragic event of domestic violence that escalated to a mass killing, leaving a family and community shattered by the loss.
