Seven-year-old Leia Grace Kroeker, a young girl described as a 'true princess, full of life,' died on January 3, 2017, in Hubbard, Oregon. Leia, who was a student at Lincoln Elementary, was known for her love of music, playing the piano, and singing. She was an imaginative child who enjoyed hosting tea parties and wrestling with her older brothers.
In the early morning hours of January 3rd, firefighters were dispatched to the Kroeker family home and found multiple structures on the
property engulfed in flames. The fires were later determined to have been intentionally set. After extinguishing the blaze, investigators discovered the remains of five individuals inside the home.
The victims were identified as Leia, her 10-year-old twin brothers, Braedon and Luke, their mother, 39-year-old Erin Kroeker, and their father, 42-year-old Keith Kroeker. Autopsies revealed that Leia and her brothers had died from gunshot wounds. Their mother, Erin, died from blunt force trauma to the head, and their father, Keith, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Following a seven-month investigation, the Marion County District Attorney's Office concluded that Keith Kroeker was solely responsible for the deaths of his wife and three children in a case of murder-suicide. Family members described the Kroekers as a loving, Christian family, and stated they were unaware of any significant marital or financial issues. Keith was a senior design engineer at Intel, and Erin was a full-time mother. No arrests were made as the perpetrator was among the deceased.
