Five People and Several Animals Found D3:ad at a Secluded Rural Property Outside Forest Grove — Police Are Investigating the D3:aths as a Mass Murd3:r Case
FIVE people and several pets have been found dead in a horror scene at a secluded rural property.
Firefighters made the grim discovery outside Forest Grove, Oregon, after initially being called to reports of a vehicle fire.
Five people and several pets were found dead at an Oregon propertyCredit: KATU2 ABC
Firefighters discovered the bodies after being called to reports of a vehicle fire on Northwest Otis LaneCredit: Google Maps
Crews arrived at the heavily-vegetated property on Northwest Otis Lane shortly after 5am on Saturday before spotting what appeared to be a body.
“We do have a deceased victim here. We are going to need law enforcement,” one firefighter was heard saying in dispatch audio obtained by ABC affiliate KATU.
“We need a police unit, or a sheriff’s office unit code 3 at the scene. Just in case, we have two victims here,” another transmission said.
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A third firefighter added: “This is some suspicious circumstances certainly. So we’re going to take our hoses and get out of here, and let the sheriff’s office clear this.”
Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies rushed to the property and ultimately discovered five people dead, along with multiple domesticated animals.
Cops are investigating the deaths as a quintuple homicide and have said all five victims were murdered.
The victims have not yet been publicly identified, and authorities have not revealed their ages or genders, how they died or where on the sprawling property their bodies were discovered.
Officials have also declined to say how many animals were killed or what kind they were.
Detectives later identified Benjamin Charles Parker, 36, as the suspect in the killings.
But the hunt for Parker came to an end Sunday when he was discovered dead inside his vehicle in Enumclaw, Washington.
“It is believed he died by suicide,” Sheriff Caprice Massey said.
Authorities are investigating the deaths as a quintuple homicideCredit: KATU2 ABC
Sheriff Caprice Massey speaking to local media after the grim discovery on SaturdayCredit: Fox 12
“Detectives do not believe there is a danger to the public.”
Authorities have not revealed what relationship, if any, Parker allegedly had with the five victims.
Investigators have said they do not believe the killings were a random act of violence.
The scale and complexity of the crime scene sparked a huge response involving detectives, forensic experts, K9 teams and several other agencies.
Sheriff Massey said the horrific case was unlike anything she had encountered during more than two decades in the area.
“I will say that in my 22 years here, I have not been a part of, or witnessed, a scene quite this complex, involving this type of an investigation,” she said.
“And I’m just going to lead in and say that I recognize that this incident is deeply concerning to our community.
“Our investigators are working to determine what happened, and we have dedicated every available resource to this case.”
Detective Shannon Wilde said investigators faced a mammoth task processing the rural property and identifying the victims.
“Any time you have one person deceased, let alone five, that’s a logistical challenge,” she said.
The secluded area contains homes but is surrounded by thick vegetation, hills, forests and large stretches of land, according to investigators.
Authorities deployed a drone during the investigation, while a mobile command unit was also brought to the scene.
The Oregon State Police Crime Lab and Washington County Major Crimes Team are among the agencies assisting with the probe.
Investigators are now urging anyone who knew the residents of the property or their associates to come forward as they piece together what led to the five deaths.
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“There are no details too small,” Massey said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
SOURCE: THE SUN
https://www.the-sun.com/news/16886153/five-dead-pets-quintuple-homicide-oregon-forest-grove/
