FOREST GROVE, Ore. (KATU) – Update (7:00 p.m.): Detectives with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday night that the suspect in this quintuple homicide investigation has been found dead. Officers found Benjamin Parker, 36, dead inside his car in Enumclaw, Washington. “He is believed to have committed suicide,” Sheriff Caprice Massey said. “Detectives do not believe there is any danger to the public.” The investigation is ongoing, according to WCSO. Original: Washington County officials confirmed today that five people were found dead Saturday in an isolated home outside Forest Grove, Oregon. Detective Shannon Wilde of the sheriff’s office told reporters that five people were found dead, as well as “multiple” dead pets. The agency has not yet publicly identified the victims. Local authorities confirmed Sunday that five people died after investigators were working to determine what happened at a home in Forest Grove/Felisha LeCherWilde said the sheriff’s office will not release any more information about the animals found dead at this time, including how many and what type of animals. The office said no arrests have been made and detectives do not believe the deaths were a random act of violence. The case is being investigated as a homicide and Detective Wilde reiterated that all five people were “murdered.” When asked to clarify more about the property, Wilde said it is a “rural area and there are other houses there, but there is a lot of vegetation, land, hills and forests. So I will just say that it is a rural area that has a lot of different properties.” The sheriff’s office also did not tell reporters where exactly the bodies were found in the property. The detective emphasized that this is a “very active investigation.” “There is someone we do not have in custody that committed this act,” Wilde said of the suspect. LISTEN TO THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE BELOW: Sheriff Caprice Massey said that in more than 20 years of working in the area, she has never seen a “scene from this complex.” “I will say that in my 22 years here, I have not been a part of or witnessed such a complex scene, involving this type of investigation. And I’m just going to start off and say that I recognize that this incident is deeply troubling to our community. Our investigators are working to determine what happened and we have dedicated every available resource to this case,” Sheriff Massey told reporters. Anyone with information about residents of the property or their associates is asked to call non-emergency services at 503-629-0111 and reference case number 50-26-11866. “I want to make it clear that investigators would love to speak with anyone who is familiar with this residence or the people who live there. There are no details too small,” Sheriff Massey said. Wilde said the local community should always “exercise caution. Lock your doors. If you see anything suspicious, call us.” Wilde said there remains a heavy police presence in the area. Local authorities confirmed Sunday that five people died after investigators were working to determine what happened at a home in Forest Grove/Felisha LeCher. When asked why it took more than 24 hours for the sheriff’s office to release information about the scene, Detective Wilde said, “This is a very complex investigation. The amount of personnel we had and the activity of the personnel once we determined the severity of what happened.” “We wanted to make sure we had accurate information to what we know about what happened on Saturday began after the initial reports. a vehicle fire on Saturday, August 22, around 5 a.m. KATU News responded to the scene at 47350 Northwest Otis Lane outside of Forest Grove after reports of a vehicle fire. Detective Wilde said during Sunday’s news conference that she cannot speak about the extent of the fire and “what it looked like.” Forest Grove Fire & Rescue spokesperson Dave Nemeyer told KATU News at the time that firefighters responded to a car fire around 5 a.m. Saturday morning and observed “suspicious circumstances.” and referred the scene to the sheriff’s office. The fire agency confirmed that firefighters did not treat anyone at the scene before calling police. Firefighter dispatch audio indicated that there was at least one death at the scene. “We have a deceased victim here. We’re going to need law enforcement,” a firefighter said in the audio. Later, another transmission said: “We need a police unit, or a code 3 sheriff’s office unit on scene. Just in case, we have two victims here.” A third broadcast added: “These are certainly suspicious circumstances. So let’s grab our hoses and get out of here, and let the sheriff’s office clear this up.” The sheriff’s office would only confirm that it was conducting a “death” investigation and had not said how many victims were at the scene. A drone was deployed to the scene Saturday and a Hillsboro Police mobile command unit was also seen in the area. The investigation was taking place on Northwest Otis Lane, a dead end street off Hillside Road. A Washington County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson confirmed to KATU that a reverse 911 call was initially sent to area residents and was canceled shortly after. KATU News contacted some residents listed in the area and did not receive a response. Agencies on the ground told KATU News there was a lot of ground to cover and they expected to announce more official information Sunday morning. The investigation had a great response from several different agencies. Sheriff’s Office detectives, assisted by the Washington County Major Crimes Team, are leading the investigation. The Oregon State Police Forensic Crime Laboratory responded to process the scene, along with members of the Sheriff’s Office of Forensics and Property and Evidence. The Sheriff’s Office said the investigation has also been supported by its Remotely Operated Vehicle Team, Accident Analysis Reconstruction Team, Search and Rescue and Tactical Negotiations Team. The Sheriff’s Office said multiple agencies assisted during the investigation, including Forest Grove Fire Department, Forest Grove Police Department, Beaverton Police Department, Cornelius Police Department, Hillsboro. Police Department, Tigard Police Department, Oregon State Police Crime Laboratory, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Washington County Animal Services, Washington Medical Examiner’s Office, Washington County Digital Forensic Laboratory and American Medical Response.KATU News will update this article with any new information that becomes available.
