WA - 3 children, ages 13, 9 and 7, among 5 killed inside Fall City home, 15 y.o. in custody - 21 October 2024

[Knox]

BBM: I actually do not find it odd. I grew up in Seattle and most of my family still live in West Seattle. It's a different place than it used to be. It's definitely not as bad as some "news" organizations want you to believe, but it's not the city I grew up in. I now live in Eastern WA and conceal carry everywhere I go. And you can bet the farm that when I visit western WA, I'm locked and loaded 100% of the time.

Public records indicate MH lived in and went to college in Texas. So being from an open carry state, maybe it's simply his habit to do so - JMO.

Beautiful home, this may explain the layout and some of the details provided in the 911 calls.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/7715-Lake-Alice-Rd-SE_Fall-City_WA_98024_M92133-77702

 

[KonaHonu]

Public records indicate the Humiston family lived in Texas prior to moving to WA state and still own a home there. So being from an open carry state, maybe it's simply his habit to do so - JMO.

I think Mark is from Texas and Sarah is from Washington. I think he moved to Washington in 2006 to take a job at Hargis Engineers. MSM reported he work there and his Linkedin profile says he has been there a little over 18 years so it all adds up.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-m-humiston-ii-pe-cem-gbe-49225631/

They got married in May 2007. https://recordsearch.kingcounty.gov/

 

[KonaHonu]

11f said that as soon as he checked that she was dead he left the room and started talking on the phone on her dad's phone. I suspect this would have been because the kids did not have phones. But that call had to be the 911 call so mom and 13m had to already be dead.

 

[Kemug]

It's also curious that 11f ran past 8-10 houses before ringing the doorbell of the neighbor. I don't suspect anything other than she may have been panicked or those neighbors were trusted. Those neighbors are in their 50s so it is unlikely they have kids or grandkids her age.

RSBM
Or, remember it was only 5am, still dark. She may have just run until she saw a house with lights on indicating that people were up. I personally know one elderly couple who always get up at 5am to have a cup of tea!
Or, all she could think was to get as far away from her brother as possible. She couldn't be sure he wasn't coming after her. And he surely would have, IMO, if he had realised she was escaping.

 

[Kemug]

11f said that as soon as he checked that she was dead he left the room and started talking on the phone on her dad's phone. I suspect this would have been because the kids did not have phones. But that call had to be the 911 call so mom and 13m had to already be dead.

Not being allowed to have a phone would definitely be another grievance for his collectiom.

 

[Knox]

Not being allowed to have a phone would definitely be another grievance for his collectiom.

Curious how he was able to unlock Dad's cell phone, but I remembered you can call 911 regardless.

Sarah has a beautiful collection of pins, https://www.pinterest.com/agapetos81/ - she was a truly dedicated SAHM. I'm sad for the surviving sister, extended family and community. As always, I want to know the "why". But in this case, not sure it will help understand his thought process in making a decision to erase his entire family, including siblings so there would be no living witnesses. It really makes no sense, regardless of what is being said about the strict nature of his upbringing. Who would he go live with that would allow him to do as he wishes? Did he have a plan for that?

 

[vls12345]

I wonder if the shooter knows his sister escaped?

I am assuming LE showed up pretty quickly after he called (and after his sister called, unbeknownst to him). Did they rush in and get him and he would have been separated from the crime scene so might not have realized she escaped? Would they share that with him while he's being held, or hold back that info in the course of the investigation?

Just musing.

 

[Bounceycat]

I wonder if the shooter knows his sister escaped?

I am assuming LE showed up pretty quickly after he called (and after his sister called, unbeknownst to him). Did they rush in and get him and he would have been separated from the crime scene so might not have realized she escaped? Would they share that with him while he's being held, or hold back that info in the course of the investigation?

Just musing.

If LE didn't tell him, I'm sure his attorney did. I can only imagine how he reacted. JMO.

 

[KonaHonu]

Sarah has a beautiful collection of pins, https://www.pinterest.com/agapetos81/ - she was a truly dedicated SAHM.

I don't mean this in any disparaging way at all but I would note that this family had a lot of changes in the last 5 years. They moved from Edmonds to Fall City in October 2019. Sarah was a nurse and renewed her license in November 2020 then let it expire in November 2021. I suspect that is around when she started being a SAHM but I don't have any specific information to support that suspicion except her giving up her nursing license. <modsnip: There is no source re family belonging to the referenced church> Sometimes changes can impact people in strange ways, especially adolescents.

Online records search - King County, Washington

kingcounty.gov

nursys.com

 

[KonaHonu]

I was curious about the statement that the shooter had gotten in a lot of trouble recently for failing tests in school. Washington requires annual standardized tests but there seems to be little consequences for not making adequate progress at least from the state. But maybe the parents had very high expectations for which I would say that just means they are good parents but that could stress the kid.

https://washhomeschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Washington-State-Home-Based-Instruction-Law.pdf

 

[Knox]

I was curious about the statement that the shooter had gotten in a lot of trouble recently for failing tests in school. Washington requires annual standardized tests but there seems to be little consequences for not making adequate progress at least from the state. But maybe the parents had very high expectations for which I would say that just means they are good parents but that could stress the kid.

https://washhomeschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Washington-State-Home-Based-Instruction-Law.pdf

The DM article said that very thing, but I tend not to put much confidence in their accuracy. Their photo's are typically good though, their photogs like to hid in bushes.

 

[Kemug]

I wonder if the shooter knows his sister escaped?

Good question!

 

[annemc2]

Public records indicate MH lived in and went to college in Texas. So being from an open carry state, maybe it's simply his habit to do so - JMO.

Beautiful home, this may explain the layout and some of the details provided in the 911 calls.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/7715-Lake-Alice-Rd-SE_Fall-City_WA_98024_M92133-77702

It is a gorgeous home. It seems like it would be lovely as a vacation home but (in the listing photos, anyway), it looks pretty open. There are a lot of large open spaces and railings instead of walls. Makes me wonder if the kids had the usual amount of privacy that most home layouts provide. Three bedrooms with one being the primary...

 

[iamshadow21]

I read the PCA several times and have a few things to note. To avoid using names of minors I'll use age and sex instead. For example the surviving sister is 11f.

11f said she was awakened by gunshots and looked out her bedroom door to see 9m and dad on the floor. Dad was found partially on top of 9m so that suggests 9m was the first victim. 7f got up and went to the door after which 11f heard another shot and saw 7f go down. 15m then comes into 11f room and shoots her once or twice. 11f then hears someone yell "Stop" and "Help" before hearing 15m talking on the phone. 11f then saw 15m checking that the others were dead then 15m came back into 11f room and she played dead until he left and went upstairs after which she escaped through a fire window.

The bedrooms were downstairs in a daylight basement.

Mom had apparently barricaded herself in the master bathroom but 15f forced the door open. It's unclear to me when 13m and mom were killed.

But all in all this seems planned to me.

It's also curious that 11f ran past 8-10 houses before ringing the doorbell of the neighbor. I don't suspect anything other than she may have been panicked or those neighbors were trusted. Those neighbors are in their 50s so it is unlikely they have kids or grandkids her age.

This certainly skews the victims younger than the header suggests. If the deceased minors are thirteen, nine and seven and the survivor is eleven, that's not 'three teens'. Every single one is middle or elementary school age, and only one is a teenager.

MOO

 

[KonaHonu]

It is a gorgeous home. It seems like it would be lovely as a vacation home but (in the listing photos, anyway), it looks pretty open. There are a lot of large open spaces and railings instead of walls. Makes me wonder if the kids had the usual amount of privacy that most home layouts provide. Three bedrooms with one being the primary...

Definitely a gorgeous home!

I've been struggling with figuring out the floorplan, especially of the daylight basement where the bedrooms are. Both the master bedroom and the boys' bedroom apparently have attached bathrooms. So what did the girls do? Walk through the boys bedroom to use the bathroom? And I suspect there must have been a bathroom on the main floor and maybe even the upper loft area. I found a floorplan on the county property records page but it is useless, just a very bad sketch.

ETA: The listing says there are 3 full baths and 1 half bath. I think there must be 1 full in the master bedroom, 1 full in the boys' bedroom, 1 full on the main living area floor, and a half bath in the loft. I suspect picture 19 in the listing shows the window the survivor climbed out of!

 

[Seattle1]

If LE didn't tell him, I'm sure his attorney did. I can only imagine how he reacted. JMO.

We know that by last Tuesday, he had to be aware when the Judge ordered that he have no contact with his surviving family members.

Judge Joe Campagna found probable cause on five counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree attempted murder to hold the teen in secure detention and have no contact with "surviving family members of the immediate family."

Court orders teen accused of killing 5 in Fall City to be held in secure detention

A 15-year-old boy accused of killing five people in a Fall City home early Monday morning will be held in secure detention until a charging decision is made.

www.komonews.com

 

[Chimera]

Teenager Charged With Murder of 5 Relatives in Washington State

Prosecutors said a 15-year-old killed his parents and three siblings, then tried to convince the authorities his brother was responsible.

www.nytimes.com

The suspect is being detained in Seattle in a youth facility and, if found guilty, could be sentenced in juvenile court to life with a presumption of release after 25 years, the authorities said. But if requested by the prosecutors, a judge might move the case to an adult court, where guilt could bring a life sentence without the presumption of release.

Can't say that the perp possibly being sentenced in adult court is a bad idea.
The surviving sibling needs to know that he can't come after her, ever !
As if living with the memories of this horror won't be bad enough.
Omo.

 

[airportwoman]

I don't mean this in any disparaging way at all but I would note that this family had a lot of changes in the last 5 years. They moved from Edmonds to Fall City in October 2019. Sarah was a nurse and renewed her license in November 2020 then let it expire in November 2021. I suspect that is around when she started being a SAHM but I don't have any specific information to support that suspicion except her giving up her nursing license. Moving means they likely joined the new church that was posted upthread. Sometimes changes can impact people in strange ways, especially adolescents.

Online records search - King County, Washington

kingcounty.gov

nursys.com

I know that nurses (and other healthcare professionals as well) are leaving in droves, but I do wonder if her not renewing her license was her idea.

 

[Knox]

It is a gorgeous home. It seems like it would be lovely as a vacation home but (in the listing photos, anyway), it looks pretty open. There are a lot of large open spaces and railings instead of walls. Makes me wonder if the kids had the usual amount of privacy that most home layouts provide. Three bedrooms with one being the primary...

There is a court case where MH filed a civil suit against a contractor who did over a $550k renovation on the home. Evidently something went awry, but it was settled a few months later. IMO, the walk out basement may have been used to create more bedrooms.

Nothing can really explain annihilating your own family in cold blood and trying to frame your dead brother for it. Plenty of kids in economically challenged large families grow up in small apartments or homes with a lack of privacy. We’re looking at something different in this case, MOO.

 

[Charlot123]

I’m unfamiliar with anything similar in Oklahoma. Of course I’m not suggesting this child should be responsible for the care of the family pets. It’s hard not “what would I do” a situation. In that instance, I couldn’t imagine my granddaughter being in this scenario and even considering leaving her pets behind especially after all that loss. Again, that’s strictly a me-thing. I am not in any way judging the decisions being made for this girl. I’m sure her family is doing the best they can in the circumstance.

From the earlier news, she was in the major trauma hospital, so no place for animals there, perhaps.