Oregon Man Killed Mother Who Planned to Evict Him, Then Sat With Her Body for a Day, Jury Finds

GLADSTONE, Ore. — Thirty-eight-year-old Ronald Joseph Kirk faces life in prison with a minimum of 25 years for murdering his mother after she told him she was going to evict him from her modest home in Gladstone.

Kirk, who was convicted of second-degree murder and of being a felon in possession of a firearm on Tuesday by a jury in Clackamas County, will be sentenced on November 4.

According to court documents, Kirk lived with his mother, 61-year-old Rosa Leyva, on Southeast Cason Road, Gladstone. It was established that Kirk had sat in the house with his mother’s dead body for a full day after her death at around 6:45 p.m. on November 25, 2024, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Rusty Amos.

Her Son Was Described as Dangerous and Volatile

According to investigators, Leyva was worried that her son, described as dangerous, volatile, frequently drunk or high on meth, would harm himself or others. She told Kirk she intended to legally evict him from her home.

On November 26, Gladstone police arrived at the property to conduct a welfare check. The door was opened by Kirk, who told them his mother was inside and had been unconscious for about a day.

The Dead Woman Was Seated in Front of Her Laptop at the Dining Room Table

Officers found her seated at a dining room table in front of a laptop. She had been shot once in the head, and pillowcases were used to cover her body.

The jury heard that Kirk was unemployed at the time of her death, and depended on his mother for his sole support.

In the weeks before her death, Leyva had sought help from the police, saying she was increasingly afraid of her son’s drug-induced, erratic behavior.

The district attorney’s office outlined the events leading to the conviction.

A surveillance video in which Leyva begs her son to seek help for his drug use was shown to the jury.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Amos told jurors that Leyva was repaid for her ‘undying love’ with a bullet to the head. He prosecuted the case together with Deputy District Attorney Grace Hoffa.