Oregon man jailed for life for killing mother, believing she was possessed by demons
Ronald Kirk, 38, shot dead his 61-year-old mother Rosa Leyva in Gladstone, Oregon, while high on methamphetamine. He has been sentenced to life in prison with parole possible after 25 years.
Oregon man shoots mother dead after meth-fuelled belief she was 'possessed by demons'
Ronald Joseph Kirk, 38, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his mother, Rosa Leyva, 61, at their shared home in Gladstone, Oregon — a killing prosecutors say he had been contemplating for weeks. TMZ.com reports that Kirk was convicted of second-degree murder and felony possession of a firearm.
Kirk had been living with Leyva in her Gladstone home, but their relationship had grown increasingly fraught. Prosecutors say Leyva had grown tired of her son's drug and alcohol use, violent temper, and erratic behaviour. By November 2024, she was preparing to evict him.
Kirk, meanwhile, had become fixated on exorcisms and demonic possession during his methamphetamine use. He reportedly told a friend he believed his own mother was possessed by evil demons. A month before the killing, he left a voicemail for his son — Leyva's grandson — claiming his grandmother was possessed, and admitting he had "almost" put a bullet in her head the day before.
Leyva, for her part, was growing increasingly frightened. On 8 November, she sent Kirk a text message: "You need to leave. I don't want anyone in my house." Kirk had no employment, no income, and was financially dependent on her — making departure appear unlikely.
Between 8 and 11 November, Leyva contacted Gladstone police on multiple occasions to report her fear of what her son might do. Home surveillance footage from 11 November, later shown to jurors during the trial, captured her pleading with him directly.
"You're higher than a kite. Get some help. Please," she told him.
Her fears were realised on the evening of 25 November 2024. The following day, 26 November, Leyva failed to appear for work. Colleagues and friends, aware of the situation at home, raised the alarm. Police attended to conduct a welfare check.
Kirk answered the door and told officers his mother was inside the house and had not been conscious for approximately a day. When officers entered, they found Leyva dead at the dining room table, seated in front of her laptop with a full glass of wine nearby. Her body had been covered in pillowcases. She had suffered a single gunshot wound to the head.
Investigators established that Leyva had been shot at approximately 6:45 PM on 25 November — meaning Kirk had remained in the home with her body for nearly 24 hours before police arrived.
"He sat there with his mother's dead body for a full day," Senior Deputy District Attorney Rusty Amos told jurors.
At Kirk's sentencing, Leyva's two grandsons — Kirk's sons — delivered statements. The responses could not have been more different.
Andre Leyva told the court he had chosen forgiveness. "I forgive you. I love you because that's what God does, and I hope prison and God have mercy on your soul," he said.
His older brother, Antonio Leyva, was not in the same place. "I know others have already forgiven you, but I am very far from that. And my Grandma Leyva, I don't just miss her; it's more than that," he told the court.
Kirk himself addressed the court before sentencing, stating he intends to appeal his conviction. "I was convicted of second-degree murder," he said. "I understand and so I'm ready to be sentenced off and close this case."
He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years, meaning he will be in his early sixties before he is eligible for release.
Source: The Sun