Investigators identified Benjamin Charles Parker as the suspect after five people and several domestic animals were found dead near Forest Grove.
FOREST GROVE, Ore. — A 36-year-old man identified as the suspect in the deaths of five people at a rural Oregon property was found dead Sunday inside a vehicle in Enumclaw, Washington, authorities said. Investigators believe Benjamin Charles Parker died by suicide.
The discovery came one day after firefighters responding to a reported vehicle fire found human remains at a property on Northwest Otis Lane in unincorporated Washington County outside Forest Grove. Responders later found five people dead, along with several domestic animals. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case as a quintuple homicide and said it does not believe there is an ongoing danger to the public.
Sheriff’s deputies were called at 5:27 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, to assist the Forest Grove Fire Department at 47350 NW Otis Lane after a 911 caller reported a vehicle fire in the area. Fire personnel discovered human remains and requested law enforcement assistance. Investigators then began processing what officials described as a large and complicated scene.
Detectives identified Parker during the investigation and developed information that led them to believe he was in Enumclaw, a Washington city east of Tacoma. Officers with the Enumclaw Police Department located Parker’s vehicle and found him dead inside, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities have not publicly detailed the evidence that led detectives to Parker or how they traced him to Washington.
Washington County Sheriff Caprice Massey said Parker was known to the five people found dead, but investigators were still trying to determine the exact nature of those relationships and a possible motive. Authorities have said they do not believe the killings were random. No other suspect has been publicly identified, and no arrests have been announced in the case.
The identities, ages and genders of the five people had not been publicly released Sunday evening. Authorities said investigators were working to confirm their identities and notify relatives. Officials also had not disclosed how the five died, where on the property each person was found or whether the vehicle fire was directly connected to the deaths.
Investigators have released few details about the several domestic animals found dead at the property. Officials have not publicly identified the types or number of animals or explained how they died. Detectives have focused on documenting the scene and establishing a sequence of events while medical examiner and forensic work continues.
The investigation has required assistance from the Washington County Major Crimes Team and numerous specialized agencies and units. The Oregon State Police Crime Lab helped process the scene, along with sheriff’s forensic and evidence personnel. Search and rescue, crash reconstruction, a remotely operated vehicle team and the Tactical Negotiations Team also supported the response. Local police agencies, Washington County Animal Services, the medical examiner’s office and other emergency personnel have assisted.
The rural setting has added to the challenge. The property is surrounded by farmland and vegetation, and the home cannot easily be seen from the road. Law enforcement vehicles remained in the area Sunday as investigators continued gathering evidence and information about the people connected to the residence. Massey said that in her 22 years with the sheriff’s office, she had not encountered a scene involving this type of investigation that was as complex.
The sheriff’s office initially said Sunday that detectives were still trying to identify the victims and determine what had happened before announcing Parker as the suspect later that day. Officials said the delay in releasing details reflected the size of the scene, the active investigation and efforts to confirm information before making it public.
Investigators continue to seek information about the residents of the Otis Lane property and people associated with them. The sheriff’s office said the homicide investigation remains active, with the victims’ identities, their precise relationships to Parker, the causes and circumstances of their deaths and a possible motive still unresolved publicly.
Author note: Last updated August 23, 2026.