07.11.2026 20:11
The sentence of Ronald Joseph Kirk, who shot his mother Rosa Leyva in the head and killed her in the US state of Oregon on the grounds that she was "possessed by the devil," and stayed in the same house with her lifeless body for a day, has been announced. Kirk, 38, who was stated to have developed an obsession with spiritual entities due to drug and alcohol addiction, was sentenced to life imprisonment at trial. The defendant will not be eligible for parole for at least 25 years.
In the US state of Oregon, 38-year-old Ronald Joseph Kirk killed his mother, Rosa Leyva, because he believed she was possessed by the devil. Kirk, who killed his mother by shooting her in the head, stayed in the same house with her body for about a day. The court sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for at least 25 years.
FOUND GUILTY
The details of the mother's murder that took place in the US state of Oregon emerged in court. 38-year-old Ronald Joseph Kirk was found guilty of killing his 61-year-old mother, Rosa Leyva. The prosecution stated that Kirk, who was said to have used drugs and alcohol, believed his mother was possessed by the devil and had threatened to kill her before the murder as well.
HE BELIEVED HIS MOTHER WAS POSSESSED BY THE DEVIL
According to the evidence presented in court, while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Kirk exhibited obsessive behaviors related to exorcism and spiritual entities. He had told those close to him that he thought his mother, Rosa Leyva, was possessed by a demon.
The prosecution reported that in a voice message Kirk left for his son about a month before the murder, he also said his mother was possessed and confessed that he had almost shot her in the head the day before.
Leyva, meanwhile, had begun to fear her son's increasingly worsening behavior. The mother, who asked him to leave the house, had also sought help from the police.
SHE CALLED OUT TO HER SON, SAYING, “GET HELP, PLEASE”
In home security camera footage recorded about two weeks before the murder, Leyva was heard begging her son to get help. In the footage, the mother called out to Kirk, saying, “You are not yourself. Get help, please.”
In a message she sent to her son on November 8, 2024, Leyva stated that she wanted him to leave the house and said, “I want you to go. I don't want anyone in my own house.”
However, the tension between mother and son ended in murder.
HE STAYED IN THE SAME HOUSE WITH HER BODY FOR A DAY
The incident occurred on November 25, 2024. According to the prosecution, Kirk fired a single shot into his mother's head while she was sitting in front of her computer at the dining table.
After Leyva did not go to work the next day and did not answer calls, her coworkers and relatives notified the police. On November 26, the teams that came to the house entered after Kirk opened the door.
Kirk said that his mother was inside and had been unconscious for about a day. The police found Leyva sitting at the dining table, shot in the head and covered with pillowcases. Her computer and a glass of wine were also on the table.
Prosecutor Rusty Amos stated in court that Kirk had stayed in the same house with his mother's lifeless body for about a day.
SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
In the case heard at Clackamas County Court, the jury convicted Ronald Joseph Kirk of second-degree murder and of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Kirk was sentenced to life imprisonment on November 4, 2026. The defendant will not be eligible for parole for at least 25 years. It was reported that Kirk plans to appeal the decision.
At the sentencing hearing in court, Leyva's family also spoke. In addition to her daughter and grandchildren, her brother described how the loss they experienced had left deep marks on the family.