CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses domestic violence and suicide. Resources are available, find help in our mental health resource guide or contact the Clackamas County 24-hour crisis line at 503-655-8616 or call Natl. Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 if you or a loved one is experiencing domestic violence. | MORE RESOURCES HAPPY VALLEY, Ore. (KATU) — The three people found shot to death Tuesday in a Happy Valley home were identified as a son, mother and grandmother. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement Thursday at a news conference, a day after the suspect in the family’s murder was found dead at a motel near the Oregon coast. The victims were identified as Katie Kinder, 47, Evan Kinder, 15, and Patricia Campbell, 78. “There are no words strong enough to describe the pain, grief and devastation we are feeling. These were not just three lives lost. They were our family, our loved ones and an irreplaceable part of our lives,” the family members said in a statement, posted in full below. FAMILY WELFARE CHECKS Happy Valley police said they first received a call for a welfare check on Monday when Katie Kinder didn’t show up for work. They went to the house Katie shared with her son. Evan, his mother Patricia and her boyfriend Edward “Ed” Villa, 45 years old. They attempted to contact someone at the home, however, no one responded. They also attempted to contact their emergency contact, Patricia, but those calls went unanswered. Officers did not report seeing anything suspicious, and neighbors told police they had not seen anyone at the home for a few days. READ MORE | ‘I’m too emotional’: Neighbor struggles after Happy Valley triple homicide “At approximately 12:30 p.m., while Happy Valley Police were still actively attempting to locate and contact Katie and her family, co-workers went to her residence and gained access to her residence. Once inside, employees requested assistance from the police department to search the residence. Happy Valley Police responded to the residence and, inside, located Katie, her son Evan, and Katie’s mother, Patricia, deceased,” officials said. during the press conference. TRACKED TO THE MOTEL Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Villa on three counts of first-degree murder, and law enforcement agencies across the state were asked to search for him. Warrenton police said they found Villa’s vehicle at a motel in Hammond, Oregon. The U.S. Marshals Service’s Pacific Northwest Violent Criminal Task Force surrounded the motel and told Villa to surrender; however, they say he committed suicide, the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office said. PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Suspect in Happy Valley triple homicide found dead at motel in Hammond, Oregon. “Shortly after arriving on scene, the U.S. Marshal’s task force heard what they believed was a single gunshot inside Mr. Villa’s room,” detectives said. Full statement from the family: “Our family is living a nightmare that no family should have to experience. In a heartbreaking tragedy, we lost three beautiful people: my mother, my sister, and my nephew. There are no words strong enough to describe the pain, grief, and devastation we felt. These were not just three lives lost, they were our family, our loved ones, and an irreplaceable part of our lives. My mother was not only an incredible mother, but also an incredible grandmother. Her love for her family was unconditional and she had a special way of making everyone around her feel loved and cared for. She was someone we could always count on, someone whose love and presence helped keep our family treasured. My sister was a loving aunt who brought joy, laughter and happiness to those around her. She had so much love to give and so much more life to live, and the void her passing left behind is something that words cannot describe. a life ahead: a life of dreams to pursue, milestones to achieve, adventures to experience, and memories we will never reach, to see the person he would have become, and that is a heartbreak beyond words, his life, however short, was precious, meaningful, and deeply loved knowing that there will always be empty chairs at family gatherings, birthdays we will never celebrate together, holidays that will never be the same, and countless memories we will never have the chance to create. The pain of losing a family member is unimaginable. Losing three at once is something no family should have to endure. We want them to be remembered for the love they brought to our lives and the beautiful memories they left behind, and their lives deserve to be remembered for all the good they brought to this world. grateful for the outpouring of love, kindness, compassion and support during this incredibly painful time. We grieve and begin the difficult journey of learning to move on from such an unimaginable loss. Three beautiful lives are gone, but the love they gave us will never go away, their names will never be forgotten and their absence will be felt every day for the rest of our lives.
