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Cornelius mother killed her three children before taking her own life, police say
Authorities have closed the case of a Cornelius family found dead in April 2025, ruling the deaths a murder-suicide after months of forensic testing and review.
A Cornelius mother killed her three young children before taking her own life in April 2025, police announced Monday, closing an investigation that had stretched on for more than a year and a half.
Hong Phuong Le, 37, and her children â Thanh Tien Dam, 7; Ha Ngan Dam, 5; and Viena Mai Dam, 2 â were found dead on April 8, 2025, inside a home in the 300 block of North 15th Avenue, near Cornelius Elementary School.
Police said detectives suspected early in the investigation that the deaths were a murder-suicide but continued collecting forensic evidence to rule out other possibilities. The Oregon State Police completed that testing in May, and the Washington County District Attorney's Office finished reviewing the case last week, concluding the evidence supported the detectives' conclusion.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office said it planned to release a statement Monday afternoon. Additional details were not immediately available.
The case had remained open for months without a public determination, leaving community members and family unanswered questions about what happened inside the home. The announcement Monday brings a formal end to the criminal investigation, though it does not resolve the grief and loss felt by those who knew the family.
Resources are available for anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide or in crisis. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by call or text at 988, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Oregon's line is operated by Lines for Life, a Portland-based nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention. Other resources include the Alcohol and Drug Hotline at 800-923-4357 and Teen-to-Teen crisis support at 877-968-8491 or by texting teen2teen to 839863.