PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Investigators are still piecing together why a man may have killed his girlfriend, her family and her friends on a rural Forest Grove property over the weekend.
Benjamin Parker, 36, is accused of killing his girlfriend Stella Kimsey, her mother Rowan, and grandma Mary. He's also accused of killing Stella's best friend, Linsey Haraldsen and her partner, Alan Chu.
While their work is far from over, investigators revealed a complicated relationship between the victims and the suspect during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. The lead detective on the case, Mark Povolny with WCSO, said Stella and Parker lived on the property on NW Otis Lane together, along with Rowan. He said they would often argue, and at the time of her death, Stella told a friend she planned to break up with Benjamin.
"Stella and Mr. Parker got into a horrible fight sometime either Thursday evening or overnight into the early hours of Friday morning, and Stella told him he had to leave," Detective Povolny said.
Advocates at the press conference say this is often the most dangerous time for people involved in any type of abusive relationship; they also revealed startling numbers about the issue across Washington County.
"Domestic violence is about control. And when an abuser feels like they're losing that control, that the survivor feels strong enough to leave and is going to be out of their control, they are going to do what they can to maintain that. And that may look like homicide." Rachel Schutz said. "Here in Oregon and here in Washington County, the homicide rates are predominantly of domestic violence."
Schutz is the executive director for the Family Peace Center. KOIN 6 News was there when they had their grand opening in April. The goal is to be a one-stop shop for survivors of domestic, sexual, and child abuse; it's the first of its kind in the nation.
"I lose words when things like this happen because it is so profoundly impactful to lose beloved community members for something that we're here trying to prevent every day," she said.
Schutz said since their official opening in January, they've served more than 3,500 people from across the area; on average, and they see about 20-30 people coming to their office seeking help every single day. She said 2/3 of homicides in Washington County are domestic violence-related.
Rachel works closely with Amy Babcock; she is the executive director of the Domestic Violence Resource Center.
"We see survivors every single day. We receive phone calls every single day. And we are faced with high lethality cases every single day," Babcock said. "The challenge is that we're here. We're in this enormous building. We do as much outreach as we can. We serve survivors, we have as many access points as possible, and we are still experiencing homicides in the community. And that's got to stop."
Babcock also said domestic violence looks different for everyone.
"I think that one of the larger conversations that we have with survivors is just because somebody hasn't been physically violent, doesn't mean that they're not an abuser, and that leaving that situation is often what brings it to a violent ending," Babcock said. "Often we have those conversations about the coercion and the financial control and the relationship control, and there's something happening in those relationships that causes a survivor to stay put up with it, maybe not bite back on it, maybe not question it."
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which is: 800-799-7233.
WCSO is still investigating all of the circumstances in this case. Be sure to stay with KOIN 6 News for the latest developments.
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