Police found the body of Benjamin Charles Parker, 36, in his vehicle outside a grocery store the day after he allegedly killed five people
NEED TO KNOW
- Five people and four animals were found dead at a property in rural Oregon on Saturday, Aug. 22
- Police found the body of the suspect, Benjamin Charles Parker, 36, in his vehicle outside a grocery store in Enumclaw, Wash., the following day
- Investigators described the crime scene as unusually complex and are urging anyone with information to come forward
The suspect in a homicide investigation launched after the bodies of five people and four animals were found at a property in rural Oregon has been found dead, according to police.
Firefighters responding to reports of a vehicle fire at 5:27 a.m. local time on Saturday, Aug. 22, at a rural property on NW Otis Lane, about 25 miles west of Portland, alerted police after discovering human remains, per a Washington County Sheriff’s Office media release.
Responders found the bodies of five people, two dogs and two cats, according to CBS affiliate KIRO. Another cat was found injured and was taken to an animal hospital nearby.
Detectives launched a homicide investigation, identifying Benjamin Charles Parker, 36, as the suspect, per the release. Police believed Parker had traveled to Enumclaw, Wash., almost 200 miles away, and officers from the city’s police department located his vehicle near a Safeway store the following day, according to a Facebook statement.
He was found deceased inside, and police believe he died by suicide. “The scene behind Safeway will remain active until the Medical Examiner has completed their investigation,” per the release.
Detectives do not believe the suspected homicide was random, and Washington County Sheriff Caprice Massey said it’s thought Parker “was known to the subjects,” NBC News reported.
Police have not disclosed the ages or genders of the five people found. Detective Shannon Wilde explained in a news conference on Sunday, Aug. 23, that the day-long gap between the discovery and the briefing was to allow them to identify the victims and notify their families.
She added that the “large scene” was in a rural area with “a lot of vegetation,” while Massey continued, “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.”
An investigation is ongoing with state medical examiners set to perform autopsies on the victims, per KIRO.
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Massey urged anyone who may have information about the property or the people who lived there to contact the police at 503-629-0111, the department’s non-emergency number.
“There are no details too small,” she said.
PEOPLE reached out to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Enumclaw Police Department for comment but did not immediately hear back.
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