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Teen suspect in lake family massacre touched bodies to see if they were alive
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Teen suspect in lake family massacre touched bodies to see if they were alive

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Supposedly a 15-year-old boy slaughtered all but one member of his entire family at their lakefront home in Washington state last week, and recent court records obtained by Fox News Digital details his only surviving sister’s terrifying escape from death.

When deputies arrived at the home in Lake Alice, Washington on October 21, they discovered a “major crime scene” – the bodies of two adults and three children – and immediately took the teenager into custody, Sheriff of King County Rep. Mike Mellis said at a news conference.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims as parents Mark Humiston, 43, and Sarah Humiston, 42, and their children, Benjamin, 13, Joshua, 9, and Katheryn, 7.

While the suspect was named in the obtained documents, a judge on Friday barred his identity from being released to the media.

Affluent lakeside neighborhood rocked after family slaughtered in THEIR OWN HOME

Washington state parents killed in murder by teenager

Mark Humiston, 43, and Sarah Humiston, 42, were identified by a mentor of one of their children. (Facebook)

Shortly before 5 a.m., the suspect called 911 claiming his 13-year-old brother had killed his family. He called out of breath and stated, “He just shot my whole family and killed himself,” according to the affidavit.

The suspect said he hid in the home’s main floor bathroom and said a possible motive for his brother’s murder was that he had been “caught looking at pornography the night before and was about to get in a lot. of trouble”.

During the suspect’s 911 call, police received another 911 call from a neighbor who lives about a quarter mile from the Humiston home. The neighbor told authorities that Humiston’s 11-year-old daughter arrived at their home, repeatedly knocking on the door, saying her family was all dead and it was her brother who shot her. The neighbor told police that the young woman was injured with a possible gunshot wound and bleeding from the neck and hand, and was afraid that her brother would come to find her.

The surviving child was transported to Harborview Medical Center for treatment. During an interview with police at the hospital, the 11-year-old girl began to cry as she detailed her harrowing escape.

She said she and her younger sister shared a room and were awakened by the sound of gunshots, and when she looked out the bedroom door to the hallway, she saw her father and brother lying in the hallway with “blood on the father’s head them”. and in her brother’s mouth. When her younger sister left their bedroom and entered the hallway, Humiston’s surviving victim heard another gunshot and saw her sister fall to the floor.

She then described seeing her brother enter her bedroom and shoot her once or twice, believing she had been hit in both the hand and the neck, and that she “felt pain immediately”. She saw her brother bending over the three bodies of her family members in the hall, touching them to see if they were alive. When her brother reentered her bedroom, she “closed her eyes and held her breath and pretended to be dead while he sat by her bed.”

Once her brother left the room and she heard him talking on the phone upstairs, she used a “fire window” in her room to escape and ran to her neighbor’s house.

WASHINGTON TEEN CHARGED WITH MURDER FAMILY BANNED FROM CONTACTING ONLY SURVIVING SISTER

She told police she recognized the gun her brother shot her with as her father’s silver Glock, which he kept in a small box he sometimes put by the front door so he could bring it to work . She said that of all the children, her brother was the only one who knew the combination to the box.

When asked what problems her brother had been having at home, the 11-year-old said he had been in “a lot of trouble” recently because he was failing tests at school. She said her brother was wearing a plaid shirt at the time of the shooting.

The suspect staged the scene before first responders arrived to make it look like his brother committed the murders and then killed himself, according to the affidavit.

A contactless order between the 15-year-old suspect and his only surviving 11-year-old sister remains in place.

The victim’s sole surviving maternal grandmother is now her guardian and manager of the lakefront home, according to court records.

The grandmother initially wanted to clean the house when she was informed that the longer she waited, the more damage and deterioration the residence would suffer, but a judge ruled that all items in the house “must be kept and the premises will be sealed, locked and guarded by a sheriff of King County until further order of the Court,” after the 15-year-old’s defense petitioned the court to block the venue.

WASHINGTON STATE TEENAGER IN CUSTODY AFTER HOME SHOOTING LEAVES 5 OF 7 FAMILY MEMBERS DEAD

Fall City Lake

The shooting happened Monday morning in the Lake Alice neighborhood of Fall City, Washington. (FOX13 Seattle KCPQ)

At a hearing on Fridayattorneys for the teenage suspect filed a motion to preserve their client’s privacy, including barring the publication of their client’s photo and limiting filming of the proceedings. Judge Kristin Richardson granted the request in part, prohibiting filming of their client from the neck up and prohibiting the publication of the client’s name or photo showing his face.

“Given the media interest in this case and the seriousness of these allegations, we want the court to know that several people in the community have contacted us who know our client and have attested to his good character,” the suspect’s attorney. Amy Parker said in a statement at Friday’s hearing.

“He was described by them as kind and caring. This is a boy who has many friends, has pro-social interests and has contributed positively to his community.”

He has not criminal antecedentsand this is the only time a case involving the 15-year-old has been forwarded to King County prosecutors, Casey McNerthney of the King County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to Fox News Digital.

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sheriff's vehicles a scene

One teenager was arrested and a second teenager was hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Deputies found three other juveniles and two adults dead at the scene. (FOX13 Seattle KCPQ)

The suspect was charged with five counts of aggravated first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, all counts of domestic violence, the King County Prosecutor’s Office said. He is being held at the Clark Juvenile and Family Justice Center.

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The 15-year-old did not enter a plea at Friday’s hearing, pending a judge’s decision on whether or not he will be moved to adult court.

The case will have a status conference on January 8, 2025, where the court will receive an update on the progress of the case.

Attorneys for the teenage suspect had no further comment at this time.