02:56 AM PDT on Sunday, May 31, 2009
HILLSBORO, Ore. -- James Gumm took his two young children to the Jackson Bottom Wetland Preserve in Hillsboro on Friday morning and shot them at close range, killing them, before turning the gun on himself, police said on Saturday.
The bodies of Gumm and his two children, 7-year-old Tyler Gumm and 6-year-old Kylie Gumm, were discovered by a hiker near the Otter Marsh viewing area shortly before 1 p.m. Friday.
A medical examiner confirmed Saturday that Gumm murdered the two children and then committed suicide with a 9mm handgun. A handgun was recovered from the area on Friday that was likely used in all three deaths, police said.
The investigation led detectives to believe the children had no idea they were about to be shot. They may have thought they were going on a dayhike, police said.
Lt. Michael Rouches, a spokesperson for the Hillsboro Police Department, called it the most heinous crime he'd seen in 16 years of law enforcement.
Detectives believe Gumm suffered from emotional issues associated with his divorce that may have culminated in his decision to murder the two children, according to interviews with the family, Rouches said.
Gumm divorced his wife between 12 and 18 months ago, Rouches said. However, a public records search indicates their marriage dissolution may have begun earlier.
An Oregon public records search indicates that divorce proceedings for James and Lisa Davis Gumm began in Tillamook County in 1992 but were never completed.
The Gumms returned to court for divorce in late 2007 and were granted one in early 2008.
"We believe Gumm suffered from emotional problems from the dissolution of his family, by divorce ... It's hard to know 'why' he did this. He took that with him," Rouches said. "He couldn't handle his family falling apart."
Gumm was unemployed and had no criminal record, police said.
Neighborhood in shock
On Saturday, the sprinklers outside Gumm's Hillsboro home were on, watering the well-manicured lawn, decorated with a welcome sign. On the outside, it was the picture of normalcy, but neighbors along NE Creeks Edge Drive looked upon it with sadness and disbelief.
"It was such shocking news," said neighbor Linda Liu.
Liu said she had been going through a divorce at the same time as Gumm and his ex-wife, Lisa, and had even attended a county-sponsored class for divorcing parents with them.
"It's a required class for divorced couples to go through, to make sure you do things in a mature way and not hurt the kids," Liu said. "I really don't understand why he shot the kids ... they were so lovely."
Neighbor Candace Achenbach said she was new to the area but remembered seeing Gumm playing with his kids and even approached him about setting up a play date.
"I said, 'I have a son that's your son's age and maybe it would be nice to get them together sometime,'" Achenbach recalled. "It's just a terrible thing to happen and I can't imagine feeling or thinking that way at all," she said.
Police doubt Gumm was motivated by Stott-Smith
Based on the investigation, detectives had no reason to believe there was a correlation between the Gumm murder-suicide and the alleged murder of 4-year-old Eldon Smith and attempted murder of 7-year-old Trinity Smith by their mother, Amanda Jo Stott-Smith, on May 23. More:Children found in Willamette River
"We do not believe there is a correlation, no. Based on talking with the family we think this came about because of his emotional frailty -- he probably did not get the idea from what happened last week -- but it's hard to know for sure," Rouches said.
Even if there was no correlation, though, responding detectives and officers were acutely aware of the similarities between the two tragic crimes, both involving parents killing their own children.
"Certainly it's in the back of their minds because we all pay attention to what's going on. As public servants we all have an idea of how these cases play even when they're not our cases," Rouches said.
Nearby farmer heard gunshots
Stan Hayes was working on a nearby farm when he said he heard gunshots, around 11 a.m. Friday.
"It was just real fast -- pop, pop, pop," he said.
Hayes thought it was a nearby hunter. When he heard the news, his stomach dropped.
"It made me sick, yeah. Absolutely. That's horrifying to have something like that happen right here in your neighborhood," he added.
The shooting comes less than a week after two young children were allegedly forced from the Sellwood Bridge by their mother. One child died. One barely survived.
KGW Reporters Scott Burton and Katherine Cook contributed to this report.
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