In a quiet home on Northeast Alameda Street, in the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, a long life came to a tragic and unexpected end. On the morning of Saturday, December 10, 2022, police responded to a call reporting two people had been shot inside the residence. Upon their arrival, they discovered the bodies of a man and a woman.
The female victim was identified as 83-year-old Barbara P. Reader.
An investigation by the medical examiner would later confirm that she had died from a gunshot wound, and her death was ruled a homicide. The male found deceased at the scene was her 84-year-old husband, Peter L. Reader. Authorities determined that he had died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The preliminary investigation led detectives from the Portland Police Homicide Unit to conclude that the incident was a murder-suicide. They stated that they were not seeking any suspects in connection with the deaths. The case was a somber one, leaving neighbors and the community to grapple with the shocking loss of an elderly couple in what appeared to be a final act of domestic violence.
Details surrounding the motive for the tragic event were not publicly released, but it was noted that Barbara Reader had been living with dementia. The family, when notified of the devastating news, requested privacy as they mourned the loss of both Barbara and Peter.
