In the quiet community of Battle Ground, Washington, the life of Rita Grubbs Sizemore, a 50-year-old Caucasian woman, was tragically cut short on May 3, 2020. Emergency services were dispatched to a residence on Northeast 319th Street in the early afternoon, where they made a grim discovery. Inside the home, Rita and a man were both found deceased.
The Clark County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that Rita's death was a homicide.
She had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her torso. The man found with her was identified as 54-year-old Leon A. Garcia. Authorities determined that Garcia died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, ruling his death a suicide. The investigation by the Clark County Major Crimes Unit concluded that the incident was a murder-suicide, with Garcia as the sole suspect in Rita's death. The nature of the relationship between Rita and Garcia was not publicly disclosed by officials.
Rita was remembered as a compassionate and intelligent individual who had a positive impact on her community. She worked at the VA Portland Health Care System's Vancouver Campus, initially in the call center before being promoted to an administrative lead at a nursing facility on the campus. Her son recalled how patients would often visit her office to chat, a testament to her caring nature. In the wake of her death, an outpouring of support from the community surprised her family, with a GoFundMe campaign quickly surpassing its goal. Many who donated remembered her as a significant asset to veterans. In accordance with her wishes for a natural burial, Rita's family laid her to rest in a pine casket in a forest cemetery, planting a tree and flowers to honor her memory.
