Husband 'beat wife to death, shot their three children and torched their Oregon home before killing himself in horror murder suicide'
- Firefighters found the bodies of a man, woman and three children inside Oregon home that burned down Tuesday
- Home belonged to Keith and Erin Kroeker, who lived there with their 10-year-old twin boys and seven-year-old daughter
- Autopsies show the children were shot to death; the woman died of blunt-force trauma to the head; and the man died from a gunshot wound to the head
- Sheriff's office says no suspects are being sought and it is being treated as a murder-suicide
- Friend said Kroekers hosted a dinner party Monday night, just hours before their home was torched - the bodies were found over two days
- Keith Kroeker was elder at his church and his wife helped with children's choir
The remains of five people, including three children, that were discovered inside a home in rural western Oregon that burned down on Tuesday appear to have been part of a murder-suicide.
Autopsies show the children were shot to death; the woman died of blunt-force trauma to the head; and the man died from a gunshot wound to the head, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said.
The medical examiner has yet to confirm the identities of the deceased, but the residence belonged to Erin Kroeker, 39 and Keith Kroeker, 42, and their three children, 10-year-old twin boys named Luke and Braedon, and seven-year-old daughter, Leia.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that the bodies were found over the last two days in the scorched rubble and appear consistent with that of the family who own the property.
Officials say the fire was started 'deliberately'.
Feared dead: Officials have recovered from the scene of an Oregon house fire five remains who are believed to be Erin and Keith Kroeker, their 10-year-old twins and seven-year-old girl
A memorial has been left outside the burned remains of the Kroeker's home after five bodies were found beat or shot to death and then burned in a major intentional fire
Deadly fire: The remains of a man, a woman and three children were uncovered over the last two days inside the Kroekers' fire-ravaged home near Hubbard, Oregon (pictured)
Believed to be part of a murder-suicide, autopsies of the deceased show the children were shot to death; the woman died of blunt-force trauma to the head; and the man died from a gunshot wound to the head, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said
The sheriff's office said it does not believe there is a danger to the public and that no suspects are being sought, but won't comment on evidence or give more details as the investigation continues.
Investigators were trying to piece together what took place in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, when firefighters found a home, a shop and detached garage ablaze.
The property is near the town of Hubbard amid hop farms in the Willamette Valley off Interstate 5, between Portland and Salem.
Lt. Chris Baldrige told the station KATU that each of the fires ignited separately, describing the case as a complex criminal investigation, which is expected to continue into the weekend.
Firefighters responded to reports of the house fire at about 3am on Tuesday and found three different structures alight, including the house
Firefighters found one dead body inside one of the structures about 30 minutes after they arrived
Emily Hamberger told OregonLive.com she has learned from some mutual friends that the Kroekers, whom she knew from church, hosted a dinner party Monday night, just hours before the fires ravaged their home.
When their friends left, Erin and Keith's three children were getting ready for bed.
Hamberger said Keith Kroeker was an elder at the Mid Valley Community Church and his wife helped with the children's choir.
Firefighters responded to reports of a house fire at about 3am on Tuesday and found three different structures, which were not close together, alight. About 30 minutes later, the first dead body was found in the smoldering debris.
About 100 first responders, among them 40 investigators, spent three days sifting through piles of the debris.
The work at the site has been made more difficult due to the size of the crime scene, the extent of the damage to the structures and low temperatures, which caused the thousands of gallons of water used to put out the flames to freeze over.
Last party: A friend said the Kroekers hosted a dinner party Monday. As the last of their friends departed that night, their kids (bottom row - 10-year-old twin boys named Luke and Braedon, and seven-year-old daughter, Leia) were getting ready for bed
Mrs Kroeker, pictured here with her seven-year-old daughter, Leia, helped with the children's choir at the family's church
Neighbor Michelle Palacios said the Kroeker family have been there for years, the Woodburn Independent newspaper reported.
'We've always been neighborly ... we've gone to each other's jewelry parties, we've exchanged Christmas cookies,' Palacios was quoted as saying. 'This is just bizarre.'
Their three children attended Lincoln Elementary School, where grief counselors have been made available to students and staff.
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