In the early morning hours of April 27, 2023, a distressing 911 call shattered the quiet of a neighborhood north of Camas, Washington. The caller, Brian McVay, informed dispatchers that he was at his parents' home and that his 68-year-old stepfather, Robert A. Tafolla, had been shot, possibly by his mother. When Clark County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived at the residence in the 28000 block of Northeast 48th Way, they found McVay and his mother, Beverly A. Tafolla, in the living room.
Inside the home, law enforcement discovered the body of Robert Tafolla on the bedroom floor. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and a. 38 special revolver was found on the bed nearby. Tragically, medical personnel pronounced the Hispanic male deceased at the scene. The investigation into the death of the man would soon reveal a complex and troubling situation within the family.
Beverly A. Tafolla, then 67, was taken into custody and subsequently arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder. Before being booked into the Clark County Jail, she was transported to a local hospital for a medical evaluation. The investigation that followed brought to light concerns about Beverly's mental state in the weeks leading up to the fatal shooting. Friends and family had reportedly noticed her erratic behavior, and there were discussions about her seeking counseling. Robert Tafolla had even expressed to his nephew that he had woken up on multiple occasions to find his wife standing over him in the middle of the night.
Court proceedings for Beverly Tafolla revealed further details about the couple's relationship and her state of mind. Her attorney raised the possibility of dementia and a potential claim of self-defense. McVay told investigators about past incidents of domestic violence between the couple that had not been reported to the police. He also mentioned that his mother had been worried that his stepfather was going to have her arrested for a prior alleged assault. In a text message to her son on the morning of the shooting, Beverly wrote, "No, I need you to help me. He told me that they were coming to get me. I shot him. Can you come help?"
Ultimately, the legal case against Beverly Tafolla took an unexpected turn. After undergoing competency evaluations, a state psychiatrist reported that she suffered from depression and possibly multiple neurocognitive disorders. In April 2025, a judge dismissed the murder case against her, concluding that her mental state had deteriorated beyond treatment and that her neurocognitive issues were not reversible. The judge ordered that she be evaluated for potential civil commitment.
