In the quiet, affluent community of Fall City, Washington, the morning of October 21, 2024, was shattered by a brutal act of violence that left a family decimated. Sarah Marks Humiston, a 42-year-old Caucasian female and former nurse, was found dead in her home alongside her husband, Mark Humiston, 43, and three of their children: Benjamin, 13, Joshua, 9, and Katheryn, 7.
The King County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that all five family members died from gunshot wounds.
The horrific discovery was made after multiple 911 calls were placed from the residence in the early morning hours. Initial reports to law enforcement suggested a possible suicide, but the scene that greeted responding deputies was far more complex and tragic. Inside the family's spacious home on Lake Alice Road Southeast, they found the deceased victims. The only survivor within the immediate family was the Humistons' 11-year-old daughter, who managed to escape to a neighbor's house and call for help. She had sustained injuries but provided a crucial eyewitness account.
The surviving daughter told investigators that her older brother, the couple's 15-year-old son, was the one who had shot the family. According to her harrowing testimony, she was in her bunk bed when her brother entered her room and shot her. She pretended to be dead, which likely saved her life, and waited for an opportunity to flee. Her account directly contradicted a 911 call made by the 15-year-old suspect, in which he claimed his 13-year-old brother, Benjamin, was responsible for the killings before taking his own life.
Based on the testimony of the surviving sister and evidence gathered at the scene, the 15-year-old son was taken into custody without incident. He was subsequently charged with five counts of aggravated first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. A judge ordered him to be held in custody and to have no contact with his surviving sister. Due to his age, his name has not been publicly released. The investigation has not yet revealed a clear motive for the devastating familicide that ended the life of Sarah Marks Humiston and the majority of her family.
