US Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Killing Mother Over Demonic Possession Belief
A 38-year-old man in Oregon, United States, Ronald Kirk, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his 61-year-old mother, Rosa Leyva, whom he believed was possessed by demons while under the influence of methamphetamine.
Kirk was convicted of second-degree murder and felony firearm possession after shooting his mother inside their shared home in Gladstone, Oregon.
According to prosecutors, Leyva had become frustrated with her son’s drug and alcohol abuse, violent behaviour and growing obsession with demonic possession. By November 2024, she had asked him to leave her home.
However, Kirk, who depended financially on his mother, reportedly became increasingly obsessed with exorcisms and the belief that she was possessed by demons while using methamphetamine. Prosecutors told the court that he had previously discussed his beliefs with a friend.
About a month before the killing, Kirk allegedly left a voicemail for his son, claiming that his grandmother was possessed and admitting that he had almost shot her in the head the previous day.
On November 8, 2024, Leyva sent her son a message ordering him to leave her house. Between November 8 and 11, she also contacted the police several times, expressing fears about his behaviour.
Surveillance footage presented during the trial reportedly captured Leyva pleading with her son to seek help, telling him that he was heavily under the influence of drugs.
On November 26, 2024, Leyva’s colleagues raised the alarm after she failed to report to work. Police officers conducting a welfare check discovered her body at the dining table, covered with pillowcases and bearing a gunshot wound to the head.
Kirk reportedly told investigators that his mother had been unconscious for about a day. However, investigators established that she was killed at approximately 6:45 p.m. on November 25.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Rusty Amos told jurors that Kirk remained in the house with his mother’s body for an entire day before her death was discovered.
Following his conviction, Kirk was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after serving 25 years. He has also indicated his intention to appeal the conviction.
US Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Killing Mother Over Demonic Possession Belief