By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A Forest Grove, Oregon, fire engine crew responding to a reported vehicle fire at 5:27 a.m. Saturday discovered a body with a gunshot wound at a rural property on NW Otis Lane in unincorporated Washington County.
- Investigators ultimately found five people dead at the property; officials had not identified any of the victims as of Monday morning.
- Firefighters extinguished the vehicle fire and withdrew from the scene to allow sheriff’s deputies to secure the area, following protocol to preserve evidence.
- Authorities identified Benjamin C. Parker, 36, as the suspected killer; he was found dead of a suspected suicide the following evening in Enumclaw, Washington.
- The Washington County Sheriff’s Office withheld details about the homicide scene until Sunday afternoon; the investigation remains ongoing.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ore. — A Forest Grove fire engine crew responding to a reported vehicle fire early Saturday discovered a homicide scene at a rural property that investigators say ultimately contained five bodies, according to fire radio traffic and officials.
Firefighters were dispatched at 5:27 a.m. to 47350 NW Otis Lane in unincorporated Washington County after a 911 caller reported a vehicle fire. Crews found a car burning and then discovered a body with a gunshot wound to the head. A lieutenant radioed dispatch to report a deceased victim and requested police or sheriff’s units respond in case others were present at the scene.
Investigators subsequently found five people dead on the property. Forest Grove Fire Chief Jim Geering said firefighters prioritized extinguishing the fire and ensuring there was no ongoing threat before backing their engine down the property’s narrow dirt-and-gravel driveway to allow sheriff’s vehicles access. Geering said withdrawing from the scene after confirming the fire was contained is standard practice intended to preserve it for investigators.
Dispatch audio indicated firefighters relayed to the sheriff’s office within minutes that one victim had a gunshot wound to the head and that duct tape was found around the bodies.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office did not release information about the scene until Sunday afternoon, when officials announced that Benjamin C. Parker, 36, was suspected in the killings. Parker was found dead of a suspected suicide that evening in Enumclaw, Washington. As of Monday morning, authorities had not identified any of the five victims found at the Otis Lane property. The investigation remains ongoing.