In the quiet community of Sammamish, Washington, a grim discovery was made on January 15, 2019, marking a violent and tragic end for 72-year-old Robert Ficken. A male historian and author, Ficken was found deceased in his home from a shotgun wound. Alongside him was his ex-wife and housemate, Lorraine Ficken, 68, who had also been fatally shot. The circumstances of their deaths unfolded after concerned relatives, unable to reach them for days, requested a welfare check at their residence on
Southeast 42nd Place.
When King County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the home, the situation escalated into a murder-suicide investigation. Inside, they found the bodies of Robert and Lorraine Ficken, as well as their 34-year-old son, Matthew Ficken. Investigators determined that Matthew had shot and killed his parents on or around January 10th or 11th and had been living in the house with their bodies for several days. As law enforcement approached the house on January 15th, Matthew took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The investigation into the motive behind the killings pointed to a domestic dispute over the family home. Lorraine Ficken was a real estate broker who was planning to retire and had recently purchased a home in Oregon to be closer to other family members. She and Robert, though divorced for nearly a decade, continued to live together. Their plan to sell the Sammamish house was met with resistance from their son, Matthew, who also resided there.
Detectives believe that Matthew's refusal to leave the home he grew up in was the catalyst for the tragic events. His mother had reportedly provided him with money to secure his own apartment, including funds for the first and last month's rent and moving expenses. However, he was unwilling to accept the move. This disagreement culminated in Matthew fatally shooting both of his parents before ultimately taking his own life. The case was closed as a murder-suicide, with Matthew Ficken as the sole suspect in the deaths of his parents.
