Is there any mention of a firearm incident?

The CIRT report states: "police determined the mother fatally shot the children then turned the gun on herself." The OregonLive article confirms: "Ashley Palmer, 31, of Gresham, daughter Kayleana Beatrice Palmer, 6, and son Xavier Rayvaughn Danger Palmer, 8, died from gunshot wounds in a murder-suicide."

Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?

The CIRT report describes prior CPS reports involving inappropriate supervision. The December 23, 2020 report states the mother "had left her children home alone on more than one occasion while driving her current partner to work" and the older child confirmed it occurred once. The September 15, 2021 report notes the older child "did report their legal parent had left them and their younger sibling home alone for approximately 10 minutes on two occasions to walk the dog in front of the home." These are mentions of inappropriate supervision in prior reports, though not directly related to the manner of death.

Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)

The CIRT report states: "police determined the mother fatally shot the children then turned the gun on herself, completing suicide." The children died from gunshot wounds inflicted by the mother. The KGW article confirms: "The Multnomah County Medical Examiner's Office determined that the case was a murder-suicide, saying Palmer apparently shot her children."

Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?

The CIRT report states that "Police later confirmed the deaths of the children and the mother by suspected murder/suicide." The OregonLive article states the three "died from gunshot wounds in a murder-suicide." The KGW article states: "The Multnomah County Medical Examiner's Office determined that the case was a murder-suicide."

Is there any mention of sexual abuse?

The CIRT report states: "The mother also sent messages that appeared to indicate the children may have been sexually abused." Additionally, in the April 28, 2022 report, the mother described concerning sexualized behaviors by the younger child: "her younger child was playing with a male friend of the mother's and had asked him to tickle their privates" and "the mother also disclosed recently finding the younger child laying on top of a same age peer and touching their privates." However, the children's therapist "stated the children had not disclosed any concerning information about the legal parent or their home," and the CPS investigation did not substantiate sexual abuse. The sexualized behaviors and the mother's messages are suggestive evidence, but sexual abuse was never confirmed.

Was a biological mother involved in the death?

The CIRT report states: "police determined the mother fatally shot the children then turned the gun on herself, completing suicide." The biological mother, Ashley Palmer, shot and killed both children. The OregonLive article identifies her as "Ashley Palmer, 31, of Gresham" and confirms she committed the murder-suicide.

Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?

The CIRT report documents an extensive history of CPS reports prior to the children's deaths. These include: a December 21, 2020 report of physical abuse and threat of harm by the legal parent (unfounded); a December 23, 2020 report of neglect by the mother (unfounded); a February 17, 2021 report of neglect by the legal parent (closed at screening); a July 20, 2021 report of neglect by the legal parent (unfounded); a September 15, 2021 report of mental injury and neglect by the legal parent (unfounded); a September 18, 2021 report of physical abuse by the legal parent (unfounded); an October 12, 2021 report of threat of harm by a relative (closed at screening); and an April 28, 2022 report of neglect by the legal parent (unfounded). There was also an open CPS assessment at the time of the children's deaths.

Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?

The OregonLive article states: "Jenavie Palmer sought to divide parenting equally, saying in a court filing that Ashley Palmer had been charged with domestic violence against her when the couple lived in Idaho, but the charge had been pleaded down to disturbing the peace." Additionally, the CIRT report's December 21, 2020 report describes the legal parent as having been "physically and emotionally abusive to the children while drinking."

Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?

Both parents' mental health is extensively referenced. The CIRT report states: "the reporter stated the mother had a limited support system, had mental health challenges, and her functioning had declined over the past six months." A maternal relative reported "the mother experienced suicidal ideation two to three months prior to the children's deaths" and "had driven to the woods with the intention of completing suicide." The mother "shared that she had some mental health conditions for which she was prescribed medication." The December 23, 2020 report states the mother "was also said to be hearing voices of others talking badly about her." The legal parent's mental health is also referenced: "The legal parent had struggled with depression in the past and had asked the mother to remove a firearm from the home when they were experiencing suicidal ideation" and was "not consistently taking their mental health medications."

Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?

The OregonLive article states: "Ashley Palmer had been charged with domestic violence against her when the couple lived in Idaho, but the charge had been pleaded down to disturbing the peace." This domestic violence charge/conviction predates the fatal incident and constitutes prior criminal history for the mother (parent/caregiver).

Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?

The CIRT report's December 21, 2020 report states: "The legal parent was said to have a history of alcoholism and was physically and emotionally abusive to the children while drinking, sometime leaving welts on the children from spanking them. The legal parent reportedly regained their sobriety for over a year, but the reporter was concerned they were drinking again." This constitutes a reference to substance use (alcohol) by a parent/caregiver.

Several notable systemic details surround this case. The CIRT report notes there was an active CPS assessment open at the time of the children's deaths. The CIRT identified that "there were two reports assigned for CPS assessment in which additional communication between the screener and the CPS caseworker was needed in order to more fully understand the allegations of abuse being reported." The CIRT also noted "the challenges for caseworkers to be able to understand and assess mental health, risk factors associated with mental health and if/how they impact child safety," recommending exploration of tools and subject matter experts for caseworkers. Critically, the KGW article reports a significant delay in the police welfare check: Jenavie Palmer called police after midnight, but "police said the call did not necessarily indicate an urgent danger, and they said they were initially given the wrong address" and had "issues trying to gain access to the apartment building." Officer Baker stated: "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." It took until approximately 7:45 a.m. to discover the bodies. However, police believe the shootings occurred approximately 90 minutes before the first call, meaning the children were likely already deceased before any call for help. The OregonLive article also notes that Jenavie Palmer's text included "a YouTube link to a music playlist with the words 'mother children murder suicide 2022'" and that "police told her to wait until morning to check on the children."