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

[Knox]

RSBM
But if I recall correctly, they weren't all asleep were they? Weren't most of them awake? I think that's worse.

The son called 911 shortly before 5AM. It has never been stated whether the family was awake or asleep.

But IMO, they were all asleep initially when the shooting started.

 

[Knox]

From the Minutes on 9/9/25, the next Status Hearing is: 12/10/2025 at 9:00 AM

Thank you.

 

[Knox]

In September, Judge Veronica Galván denied the defense's October 2026 request and scheduled the decline hearing for April 2026 instead. She also ordered monthly status conferences to monitor the defense's progress and hold them accountable to the timeline. The next status conference is scheduled for Dec. 10.

In the Fall City neighborhood where the family lived, the sound of construction now echoes from the Humiston home. Neighbors say the owner plans to sell the renovated property.

One year since Fall City family killed, still no trial

Courts still have to decide whether the 15-year-old accused of the murder will be tried as an adult or remain in juvenile court. He could receive a life sentence.

www.king5.com

This is an article from 10/21/25, posting to keep track of the court hearing dates. There has been no deed action filed so far, I checked before making this post - no listings either. I wonder if they will do a private listing with select realtors to eliminate people who want to see the home for reasons other than purchase?

 

[Gemmie]

In September, Judge Veronica Galván denied the defense's October 2026 request and scheduled the decline hearing for April 2026 instead. She also ordered monthly status conferences to monitor the defense's progress and hold them accountable to the timeline. The next status conference is scheduled for Dec. 10.

In the Fall City neighborhood where the family lived, the sound of construction now echoes from the Humiston home. Neighbors say the owner plans to sell the renovated property.

One year since Fall City family killed, still no trial

Courts still have to decide whether the 15-year-old accused of the murder will be tried as an adult or remain in juvenile court. He could receive a life sentence.

www.king5.com

This is an article from 10/21/25, posting to keep track of the court hearing dates. There has been deed action filed so far, I checked before making this post - no listings either. I wonder if they will do a private listing with select realtors to eliminate people who want to see the home for reasons other than purchase?

Mind reader. I was wondering what was going on with this case earlier today. Thanks for the update!

 

[girlhasnoname]

Amish and LDS children also have their very limited church ppl they see at limited church services, limited to churchy activity. Thats still isolated from general society. Also, walking distance to Starbucks or anywhere else for that matter means exactly nothing if they are not allowed to walk to Starbucks or anywhere else. Its *still* social isolation. There is a literal ton of literature that addresses how stunting it is to isolate children from general socialization no matter how protective the parent thinks it is being. ~~Do you know the size of the teen population of these parent's chosen church and do you know how much socialization opportunities of interest to teens it provided that this child was allowed to engage in?

Are there any stats providing Amish/LDS/Homeschooled children are more likely to murder their entire families or are more prone to homicide in general? Just wondering.

JMO

 

[OneLove]

Are there any stats providing Amish/LDS/Homeschooled children are more likely to murder their entire families or are more prone to homicide in general? Just wondering.

JMO

Not at all comparable because the *vital* difference is Amish and LDS teens are raised from BIRTH on in their limited culture.

This boy attended public school all his life previously, had normal socialization, wasn't "afraid" of the big wide "scary" world, and was raised in a diverse community, ethnically, religiously, culturally, etc, until he was forced into isolation as a teenager at a time when teens (that are not isolated) become more socially involved, engage in more extracurricular enriching activities, have more get together with similar aged people outside of school and home, and become interested in the opposite gender (or gender they are sexually attracted to).

They begin to visualize a future life in just a very few more years beyond their family home at this time, which is also a time that overly enmeshed parents often have difficulty separating their own identity from their children's own unique identity.

And by and large, Amish and LDS have *much* more interaction with like aged kids within their own community
Their elders go out of their way to insure that. Also, many people don't know that Amish kids are given quite liberal boundaries. They can drink alcohol and "sleeping over" is not discouraged between opposite gendered teens. And their humor in general is often quite bawdy so that indicates a realistic acceptance of sexuality as a normal part of life. For full disclosure, I lived in deep Amish country, surrounded by Amish farms, and had Amish friends and neighbors. Without exception, they were fun, loving, and open people, nothing at all like the environment the perpetrator of this family massacre was subjected to. It must have been torture for this kid, especially after he was denied seeing even the only kid close enough in his neighborhood to interact with.

 

[girlhasnoname]

Not at all comparable because the *vital* difference is Amish and LDS teens are raised from BIRTH on in their limited culture.

This boy attended public school all his life previously, had normal socialization, wasn't "afraid" of the big wide "scary" world, and was raised in a diverse community, ethnically, religiously, culturally, etc, until he was forced into isolation as a teenager at a time when teens (that are not isolated) become more socially involved, engage in more extracurricular enriching activities, have more get together with similar aged people outside of school and home, and become interested in the opposite gender (or gender they are sexually attracted to).

They begin to visualize a future life in just a very few more years beyond their family home at this time, which is also a time that overly enmeshed parents often have difficulty separating their own identity from their children's own unique identity.

And by and large, Amish and LDS have *much* more interaction with like aged kids within their own community
Their elders go out of their way to insure that. Also, many people don't know that Amish kids are given quite liberal boundaries. They can drink alcohol and "sleeping over" is not discouraged between opposite gendered teens. And their humor in general is often quite bawdy so that indicates a realistic acceptance of sexuality as a normal part of life. For full disclosure, I lived in deep Amish country, surrounded by Amish farms, and had Amish friends and neighbors. Without exception, they were fun, loving, and open people, nothing at all like the environment the perpetrator of this family massacre was subjected to. It must have been torture for this kid, especially after he was denied seeing even the only kid close enough in his neighborhood to interact with.

RBBM
Is this a known MSM fact or SM speculation? There may have been a solid reason the family moved to a more secluded location, perhaps the son here was already having trouble in his school environment or perhaps began showing signs of mental health issues. He could have been expelled from his school for all we know as of yet.

I'm a military brat, traveled the world over, moving often even after finding new friend groups. Although it was fun and exciting (especially looking back as an adult) it wasn't always easy or fun in regard to peer relationship building. I never had an inkling of blaming my parents in my frustration let alone physically assaulting/killing them.

I'll hold off casting aspersions on the murdered parents until more is known as fact.

JMO

 

[OneLove]

RBBM
>snip<
Is this a known MSM fact or SM speculation?
>snip<

Yes, the isolation and denial of friends is a known fact and published in msm articles accepted here at WS. Multiple links are posted in the history of this thread.

His grandmother had even made attempts at helping to ease his forced isolation but her efforts were rejected by the boy's mother. She also spoke to this in the aftermath of the massacre and must have been devastated and heartbroken at the outcome.

Its generally unknown how involved the father was in making (or supporting) these socially isolating decisions and computer schooling since he was working outside the home.

Because these are the known facts, they wouldn't be considered "casting aspersions". They're just factors that may or may not have contributed to the boy's *obvious* anger and frustration that culminated in a massacre. Thankfully, not every teen that is deprived of normal socialization commits murder.

But, speaking from my roles as social worker in child protection, as a juvenile justice worker, as a teacher specialist of an "at risk" teenage population and as a mother very involved in parent support organizations, I can very comfortably say that a good assessment of the situation in that home would have pointed out risk factors and recommended changes including counseling for not just the son but also the mother who was struggling with her own issues that were affecting her decisions concerning her teenage son who was developing an identification independent from his parents and wanting to be more out in the world as is natural for *most* healthy well adjusted teenagers. No aspersions; just facts.
Its not "blame", its just attending factors.

 

[Charlot123]

Are there any stats providing Amish/LDS/Homeschooled children are more likely to murder their entire families or are more prone to homicide in general? Just wondering.

JMO

All I know is that LDS teenagers have statistically higher rate of suicide as compared to non-LDS ones. Another thing is interesting, however: non-LDS peers living in LDS communities have comparable to LDS (e,g. higher than in the country) rate of suicide, too.

The reason for it is not known. We can talk about “nurture” (e.g., parents of non-LDS kids ready to settle in, say, Utah might already share certain views that would make them more similar to LDS, hence, the same stressors on their kids) vs “nature”.

“Nature” would be totally opposite. Non-LDS teenagers living, say, in Utah might be the kids of “lapsed Mormons” sharing the same genetic makeup with LDS kids. And, as we know, there is a certain genetic/ethnic predisposition to suicide (easy to Google what two countries are nr. 1 and 2 in the EU, for example).

Homicide is more complicated because religious/spiritual beliefs might easier hold people from homicide than suicide, so I would not be that blunt.

All I want to say is- among other things, Amish communities may be lacking some genetic diversity. LDS communities are getting influx of new genes but before, were also self-contained. So we can not take two groups with unique history and compare them to the rest of the world. Too many confounding factors.

Just one of the articles I saw.

https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Knoll4902.pdf

ETA: family annihilation is still a very rare thing. In cases like this, everything might be discussed because prevention is penultimate. So I think that asking "what could have prevented the Humistons from losing their lives to an extreme case of domestic violence?" is a valid question. What protective factors could have been utilized and were not? We don't know and it is bad. (How many things could have been prevented if the story of the Columbine was known sooner?)

I think, omerta never helps. It is good that we share different views here.

Yet: comparison with a group that is battling its own, yet unexplained, problem is not going to help at all.

 

[Gemmie]

All I know is that LDS teenagers have statistically higher rate of suicide as compared to non-LDS ones. Another thing is interesting, however: non-LDS peers living in LDS communities have comparable to LDS (e,g. higher than in the country) rate of suicide, too.

The reason for it is not known. We can talk about “nurture” (e.g., parents of non-LDS kids ready to settle in, say, Utah might already share certain views that would make them more similar to LDS, hence, the same stressors on their kids) vs “nature”.

“Nature” would be totally opposite. Non-LDS teenagers living, say, in Utah might be the kids of “lapsed Mormons” sharing the same genetic makeup with LDS kids. And, as we know, there is a certain genetic/ethnic predisposition to suicide (easy to Google what two countries are nr. 1 and 2 in the EU, for example).

Homicide is more complicated because religious/spiritual beliefs might easier hold people from homicide than suicide, so I would not be that blunt.

All I want to say is- among other things, Amish communities may be lacking some genetic diversity. LDS communities are getting influx of new genes but before, were also self-contained. So we can not take two groups with unique history and compare them to the rest of the world. Too many confounding factors.

Nurture vs nature.... very interesting to think about. I saw the movie/biography Three Identical Strangers several years ago. It stuck with me. It tells a story about 3 college-aged identical triplets—Eddy Galland, David Kellman, and Robert Shafran—which were put up for adoption, later meet by odd chance and learn they were separated at birth and are reunited.

It's a very riveting story.

What <em>Three Identical Strangers</em> Reveals About Nature and Nurture

The recently released documentary, Three Identical Strangers, tells a story that’s at times humorous, at times incredible, and at other times foreboding. The film, directed by Tim Wardle and released across the United States in the past few weeks, tells a story some might remember from headlines...

ifstudies.org

 

[Sundog]

I can very comfortably say that a good assessment of the situation in that home would have pointed out risk factors and recommended changes including counseling for not just the son but also the mother who was struggling with her own issues that were affecting her decisions concerning her teenage son who was developing an identification independent from his parents and wanting to be more out in the world as is natural for *most* healthy well adjusted teenagers. No aspersions; just facts.
Its not "blame", its just attending factors.

If there was acting out by the son and it reached the level of needing juvenile court intervention, then it is likely the parents would have also been involved in a treatment plan. We have no evidence that there was acting out by the son and that this kind of external intervention was needed. I have also seen no evidence that the mother was struggling "with her own issues." The grandmother may have had her own biases or some personal issues with her daughter and may have wanted to raise the children differently, but that doesn't mean that the mother had "issues."

All of these assessments of the family are just speculation. Hopefully we will know more if this kid is charged as an adult, which I hope he will be so that there is justice for his parents and his siblings.

 

[airportwoman]

Nurture vs nature.... very interesting to think about. I saw the movie/biography Three Identical Strangers several years ago. It stuck with me. It tells a story about 3 college-aged identical triplets—Eddy Galland, David Kellman, and Robert Shafran—which were put up for adoption, later meet by odd chance and learn they were separated at birth and are reunited.

It's a very riveting story.

What <em>Three Identical Strangers</em> Reveals About Nature and Nurture

The recently released documentary, Three Identical Strangers, tells a story that’s at times humorous, at times incredible, and at other times foreboding. The film, directed by Tim Wardle and released across the United States in the past few weeks, tells a story some might remember from headlines...

ifstudies.org

Interesting to see this link, just a few days after the death of the last Dionne Quintuplet. Annette died on Christmas Eve, and Cecile passed earlier this year; both were 91. I think most of us are familiar with that tragic story, and if you aren't, it's easy enough to access.

Annette Dionne: Last of Canada's Dionne quintuplets dies aged 91

The sisters, who were the first known quintuplets to survive past infancy, became a global phenomenon after their 1934 birth.

www.bbc.com

Wasn't this the family where the boy was not allowed to associate with a neighbor, because the parents were a same-sex couple? I'm very aware that if that was the case, there might well have been reasons other than that for keeping him away from their house.

 

[Charlot123]

If there was acting out by the son and it reached the level of needing juvenile court intervention, then it is likely the parents would have also been involved in a treatment plan. We have no evidence that there was acting out by the son and that this kind of external intervention was needed. I have also seen no evidence that the mother was struggling "with her own issues." The grandmother may have had her own biases or some personal issues with her daughter and may have wanted to raise the children differently, but that doesn't mean that the mother had "issues."

All of these assessments of the family are just speculation. Hopefully we will know more if this kid is charged as an adult, which I hope he will be so that there is justice for his parents and his siblings.

And again if we don't know the details of the case it may be useless.

Is "victim-friendly approach" better than "learning from the victims' stories?" Let us be honest, we can't help th we victims, they are gone. RIP.

We obviously look at the parents as victims, but maybe the better goal is for another parent raising potential AH, to read about the case and say, "shoot, I see the mistake Mark H made. I don't want to be the victim like Mark, let me change my approach to how i am raising my son".

Just a thought. We have a new, pretty.sad extreme DV case in WA now, a very sad one, and again one thinks, where could it have been prevented?

 

[Sundog]

Interesting to see this link, just a few days after the death of the last Dionne Quintuplet. Annette died on Christmas Eve, and Cecile passed earlier this year; both were 91. I think most of us are familiar with that tragic story, and if you aren't, it's easy enough to access.

Annette Dionne: Last of Canada's Dionne quintuplets dies aged 91

The sisters, who were the first known quintuplets to survive past infancy, became a global phenomenon after their 1934 birth.

www.bbc.com

Wasn't this the family where the boy was not allowed to associate with a neighbor, because the parents were a same-sex couple? I'm very aware that if that was the case, there might well have been reasons other than that for keeping him away from their house.

We don't know the reason behind the parents' decision, and most parents will make these kinds of decisions as to their children's social life that are in the best interest of their children. No reason has been given in MSM, as far as I have seen, that suggests that is not the case. Just a lot of speculating based on vague reports from a neighbor and an estranged grandparent, IIRC.

 

[Charlot123]

Deleted

 

[Charlot123]

Nurture vs nature.... very interesting to think about. I saw the movie/biography Three Identical Strangers several years ago. It stuck with me. It tells a story about 3 college-aged identical triplets—Eddy Galland, David Kellman, and Robert Shafran—which were put up for adoption, later meet by odd chance and learn they were separated at birth and are reunited.

It's a very riveting story.

What <em>Three Identical Strangers</em> Reveals About Nature and Nurture

The recently released documentary, Three Identical Strangers, tells a story that’s at times humorous, at times incredible, and at other times foreboding. The film, directed by Tim Wardle and released across the United States in the past few weeks, tells a story some might remember from headlines...

ifstudies.org

A horrible story.
One wonders if Eddie's adoptive dad had the temperament similar to Eddy.

 

[Kemug]

It's such a shame and a tragedy that this lad didn't find a friend in his brother, who was only 2 years younger.

 

[Sundog]

It's such a shame and a tragedy that this lad didn't find a friend in his brother, who was only 2 years younger.

Or his sister.

He killed his younger brother and tried to kill his sister.

 

[girlhasnoname]

And again if we don't know the details of the case it may be useless.

Is "victim-friendly approach" better than "learning from the victims' stories?" Let us be honest, we can't help th we victims, they are gone. RIP.

We obviously look at the parents as victims, but maybe the better goal is for another parent raising potential AH, to read about the case and say, "shoot, I see the mistake Mark H made. I don't want to be the victim like Mark, let me change my approach to how i am raising my son".

Just a thought. We have a new, pretty.sad extreme DV case in WA now, a very sad one, and again one thinks, where could it have been prevented?

We are victim supporters here on WS. I think it will take time to even begin to find out what the situation was that prompted this massacre if we ever really do. What I don't think is fair is to assume the parents did something that caused AH's actions and to be so harshly judged when we know very little actual facts.

Regardless of any parenting 'mistakes', if there were indeed any, they certainly did not deserve to be murdered nor did his siblings as well. Why would AH kill his brother and sisters as well?

JMO

 

[girlhasnoname]

All I know is that LDS teenagers have statistically higher rate of suicide as compared to non-LDS ones. Another thing is interesting, however: non-LDS peers living in LDS communities have comparable to LDS (e,g. higher than in the country) rate of suicide, too.

The reason for it is not known. We can talk about “nurture” (e.g., parents of non-LDS kids ready to settle in, say, Utah might already share certain views that would make them more similar to LDS, hence, the same stressors on their kids) vs “nature”.

“Nature” would be totally opposite. Non-LDS teenagers living, say, in Utah might be the kids of “lapsed Mormons” sharing the same genetic makeup with LDS kids. And, as we know, there is a certain genetic/ethnic predisposition to suicide (easy to Google what two countries are nr. 1 and 2 in the EU, for example).

Homicide is more complicated because religious/spiritual beliefs might easier hold people from homicide than suicide, so I would not be that blunt.

All I want to say is- among other things, Amish communities may be lacking some genetic diversity. LDS communities are getting influx of new genes but before, were also self-contained. So we can not take two groups with unique history and compare them to the rest of the world. Too many confounding factors.

Just one of the articles I saw.

https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Knoll4902.pdf

ETA: family annihilation is still a very rare thing. In cases like this, everything might be discussed because prevention is penultimate. So I think that asking "what could have prevented the Humistons from losing their lives to an extreme case of domestic violence?" is a valid question. What protective factors could have been utilized and were not? We don't know and it is bad. (How many things could have been prevented if the story of the Columbine was known sooner?)

I think, omerta never helps. It is good that we share different views here.

Yet: comparison with a group that is battling its own, yet unexplained, problem is not going to help at all.

I'm always all for debating and discussing the FACTS of the cases we follow. We don't have those facts here yet and I think it is presumptuous and wrong to blame the parents at this point.