Evan Scott Kinder was a 15-year-old boy with his entire life ahead of him when he was killed in his Happy Valley, Oregon, home. Family members, reeling from an unimaginable loss, remembered Evan as a young man on the cusp of his future, a beloved nephew whose life was tragically cut short. He lived in a home on Southeast Highpointe Street with his mother, Katie Lynn Kinder, his grandmother, Patricia Lynn Campbell, and his mother’s boyfriend.
On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the lives of
three generations of the family came to a violent end. The day before, Katie, 47, had uncharacteristically failed to show up for work. When she missed work again on Tuesday, concerned colleagues went to the family’s residence in the 13000 block of Southeast Highpointe Street to check on her. After gaining access to the house, they made a devastating discovery and called the police. Officers from the Happy Valley Police Department responded shortly before 12:30 p.m. and found Evan, his mother, and his 78-year-old grandmother all deceased inside.
The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, along with the district attorney's office and the medical examiner, launched an investigation into the triple homicide. Neighbors told authorities they had not seen anyone at the house for a few days. Autopsies performed by the Clackamas County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Evan, Katie, and Patricia had all died from gunshot wounds. The investigation quickly focused on one person: 45-year-old Edward Villa, Katie Kinder’s live-in boyfriend.
Detectives learned that Villa had also been absent from his job on October 19 and 20. He had worked for the North Clackamas School District since 2007, most recently holding the position of student and community engagement specialist. Investigators established probable cause to believe Villa was responsible for the murders, and an arrest warrant was issued for him on three counts of first-degree murder. The search for Villa led authorities to the Oregon coast, more than 100 miles away from the crime scene.
On Wednesday, October 21, police in Warrenton, Oregon, located Villa’s vehicle at the South Jetty Inn, a motel in the nearby community of Hammond. Members of the U.S. Marshals Service surrounded the motel and attempted to make contact with Villa. Shortly after their arrival, officers heard what they believed to be a single gunshot from inside his room. They entered and found Villa deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. With the death of the sole suspect, the criminal case was closed.
In the wake of the tragedy, Evan’s surviving family members released a statement expressing their profound sorrow. "There are no words strong enough to describe the pain, grief, and devastation we are feeling," the family shared. They described Patricia as a beloved mother and grandmother who helped hold the family together, and Katie as a loving aunt who brought joy and laughter to them all. They mourned for Evan, a young man who never got the chance to grow up. The family thanked the community for its support and asked for privacy as they grieved the loss of their mother, sister, and nephew.
The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office asked anyone with information about the case to contact its tip line at 503-723-4949 or submit information online, referencing Case No. 26-020747. Although the primary suspect is deceased, the investigation remains technically ongoing as of October 2026. Authorities have not released a possible motive for the killings.
