According to Gresham police, a mother killed her two small children before killing herself during a custody battle with her ex-spouse.
KGW8 reported, Ashley Palmer, 31, and her two children were discovered lifeless inside their house at the Rockwood Village Apartments during a welfare check Tuesday morning, according to authorities.
The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that the case was a murder-suicide, stating that Palmer presumably shot her children, Xavier Palmer, 8, and Kayleana Palmer, 6, before killing herself.
Ashley Palmer was reportedly involved in a custody dispute with her ex-spouse Jenavie Palmer. Ashley stated in court documents that her children would be injured if her ex-spouse received custody, alleging unsanitary and hazardous living conditions as well as images from inside the home.
Ashley’s plea for an immediate danger order, which gave her sole custody, was granted once, but withdrawn a month later. The judge just dismissed the same request a second time.
Her ex-spouse Jenavie requested the welfare check after midnight Tuesday, but police said the call did not actually imply an immediate threat, and they were originally given the wrong location.
Then there were problems gaining entry to the residential complex. “It gets a lot of our officers frustrated because a lot of us have kids and we want to get in there and make sure people are safe,” said Gresham Police Officer Adam Baker.
Baker said it took two additional calls for officers to gain entry to the apartment complex before the deaths were discovered around 7:45 a.m. Tuesday. Police believe the incident occurred before they received a call.
Gresham police are still piecing together the events leading up to the tragedy.
