Authorities identified the suspect as 36-year-old Benjamin Charles Parker and said investigators believe he died by suicide.
FOREST GROVE, OR — A man suspected in the killings of five people at a rural property outside Forest Grove was found dead Sunday inside a vehicle in Washington state, authorities said, one day after firefighters responding to a reported vehicle fire discovered human remains.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 36-year-old Benjamin Charles Parker. Detectives determined during the investigation that Parker was believed to be in Enumclaw, Washington, where local police located his vehicle and found him dead inside. The sheriff’s office said investigators believe Parker died by suicide. Authorities said they do not believe there is an ongoing danger to the public.
The discovery followed an investigation that began at 5:27 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, when Washington County sheriff’s deputies were called to assist the Forest Grove Fire Department at 47350 NW Otis Lane in unincorporated Washington County. A 911 caller had reported a vehicle fire in the area. Fire personnel who arrived at the property found human remains and requested help from law enforcement.
Responders eventually found five people dead on the property, along with several domestic animals. The sheriff’s office is investigating the deaths as a quintuple homicide. Officials have not released the victims’ identities, ages or genders, and their causes of death have not been made public. Investigators also have not publicly explained what connection Parker had to the five people who died.
Detectives have said they do not believe the deaths resulted from a random act of violence. Earlier Sunday, before Parker was publicly identified as the suspect, officials said no arrests had been made. The later announcement that Parker had been found dead removed the immediate concern that a homicide suspect remained at large, but authorities stressed that the investigation into what happened at the Oregon property was continuing.
The size and condition of the scene have complicated that work. Washington County Sheriff Caprice Massey said Sunday that in her 22 years with the agency, she had not been involved in a scene of comparable complexity. Detective Shannon Wilde also described a large crime scene with many investigators working to establish the identities of those who died, notify relatives and determine the sequence of events.
The Washington County Major Crimes Team is assisting sheriff’s detectives. The Oregon State Police Crime Lab has also helped process the property, along with sheriff’s office forensic and evidence personnel. Other specialized teams involved in the response have included search and rescue, a remotely operated vehicle team, crash reconstruction personnel and the Tactical Negotiations Team. Several local police departments and other public agencies have also assisted.
The rural setting has added to the investigative challenge. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that farmland surrounds the area and that the home cannot be seen from the road. Law enforcement vehicles remained in the area Sunday as investigators continued processing the property and gathering information about the people connected to the residence.
Authorities have not said how investigators identified Parker as their suspect or what evidence led them to believe he was in Enumclaw. They also have not disclosed how the five victims died or whether the reported vehicle fire was directly connected to their deaths. Officials have said they are continuing to work on identifying the victims and notifying their next of kin before releasing additional personal information.
The sheriff’s office continues to seek information from people familiar with the property, its residents or their associates. The case remains an active homicide investigation, with the identities of the victims, their relationships to Parker and the circumstances surrounding the five deaths still unresolved publicly.
Author note: Last updated August 23, 2026.