Joey King Vue and the 2026 Thornton Family Murders
Overview
Joey King Vue was identified by authorities as the man believed to have killed three members of his family inside a home in Thornton, Colorado, before dying by suicide. The deaths occurred on May 22, 2026, in a residence located in the 13900 block of Harrison Street. The victims included two adults and a 13-year-old boy.
Early reports sometimes referred to Vue as Joe King Vue, but the Adams County Coroner’s Office identified him as Joey King Vue. He was 33 years old at the time of his death. Because Vue died at the scene, he was never arrested, formally charged, or placed on trial. The case was investigated as a suspected triple murder-suicide based on the evidence available to Thornton police.
Discovery of the Victims
The tragedy came to the attention of authorities after a relative went to the Harrison Street home on the evening of May 22. The family member reportedly discovered that several people inside the residence were unresponsive and contacted emergency services.
Thornton police officers were dispatched to the home at approximately 8 p.m. When they entered the residence, they found four people who were clearly deceased. All four had suffered gunshot wounds. There were no surviving victims inside the home, and police announced that there was no continuing danger to the surrounding neighborhood.
Although the bodies were found Friday evening, investigators did not immediately determine or publicly announce the exact time at which the shootings occurred. Authorities said only that the violence appeared to have taken place sometime that day.
The Victims
- David Robert Nelimark, 53 – Found fatally shot on May 22, 2026, inside the family residence in the 13900 block of Harrison Street in Thornton, Colorado.
- May Gnia Nelimark, 49 – Found fatally shot on May 22, 2026, inside the same Thornton residence.
- Asher Kieth Kub Nelimark, 13 – Found fatally shot on May 22, 2026, inside the Harrison Street home. He was the youngest victim.
The Suspected Murder-Suicide
Investigators said they believed Vue shot and killed David, May, and Asher before turning the weapon on himself. All four deceased individuals were described by police as members of the same family, although authorities did not immediately provide a detailed explanation of how Vue was related to each victim.
No information released during the initial investigation indicated that another gunman had entered the house or escaped from the area. Police treated Vue as the only suspected perpetrator and reassured residents that there was no known threat to the public.
The deaths were described as a triple murder-suicide because three people were believed to have been intentionally killed before the suspected shooter died by suicide. The classification reflected the police department’s preliminary findings. The Adams County Coroner’s Office continued working to establish the official causes and manners of death.
Unknown Motive
Authorities did not publicly identify a motive for the killings. Investigators did not say whether the shooting followed an argument, a domestic dispute, financial difficulties, relationship problems, or another crisis within the household.
Police also did not initially disclose whether officers had previously been called to the Harrison Street residence. Without surviving witnesses or a statement from Vue, investigators were left to reconstruct the events through physical evidence, family interviews, electronic records, and the circumstances found inside the home.
The absence of a publicly established motive left many questions unanswered. It remained unclear what happened in the hours before the gunfire, whether any of the victims had attempted to seek help, or whether relatives had noticed warning signs before the family was found.
Investigation
The Thornton Police Department opened a murder-suicide investigation following the discovery. Detectives processed the residence, documented the locations of the bodies, collected firearms and other evidence, and worked with the coroner to determine the sequence of deaths.
Police reports were not immediately released because the case remained under investigation. Officials provided only limited information and did not disclose the number of shots fired, the type of firearm involved, or where each person was located inside the residence.
Since Vue died at the scene, there was no criminal prosecution. No arrest warrant, charging document, preliminary hearing, or trial followed the killings. The investigation instead focused on confirming that Vue was responsible, establishing the timeline, and ruling out the involvement of any other person.
Community Impact
The deaths shocked the Thornton community, particularly because an entire household had been found dead and one of the victims was only 13 years old. Police acknowledged that the incident was painful for relatives, neighbors, first responders, and others affected by the loss.
The Thornton Police Department offered condolences to the family and encouraged community members experiencing distress to seek assistance. The department’s victim services unit and co-responder team were made available to provide emotional support and information about community resources.
A fundraising effort was organized to help pay for memorial expenses and support a surviving member of the Nelimark family. The campaign reflected the financial and emotional burden placed on relatives who were suddenly forced to arrange multiple funerals while confronting the violent deaths of three loved ones.
Aftermath
The May 22, 2026, killings left four people dead and no opportunity for the suspected perpetrator to explain his actions in court. David Robert Nelimark, May Gnia Nelimark, and Asher Kieth Kub Nelimark were remembered as the victims of an act of violence that occurred in a place where they should have been safe.
Joey King Vue was identified as the person believed to have caused their deaths before taking his own life. However, the limited information released by investigators meant that the reasons behind the shooting remained unknown. The case stood as a devastating example of family violence ending in multiple deaths, unanswered questions, and lasting grief for the surviving relatives and community.
