A Gladstone, Oregon man was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for shooting his 61-year-old mother to death at her own dining room table, in a case where prosecutors say she had already pleaded with police for help and told him to leave her house weeks before he killed her. Ronald Kirk, 38, must serve at least 25 years before he can be considered for parole.
Kirk was sentenced at the Clackamas County Courthouse on Nov. 4, according to oregonlive.com, which reported that the minimum term applies before any parole eligibility. A Clackamas County jury had already convicted him of second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a Clackamas County announcement. Tampa Free Press also reported that Kirk shot his mother, Rosa Leyva, inside their Gladstone home in November 2024.
A Welfare Check Ends in Tragedy
Leyva was found dead at her dining room table during a welfare check after family and friends couldn't reach her, according to KOIN. The county's account adds a grim detail: she had been shot once in the head, and her body was covered with pillowcases. Investigators determined she died around 6:45 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2024, per the same county account.
Friends and relatives had urged police to check on Leyva's home after losing contact with her, according to the Tampa Free Press. By the time Gladstone police arrived, it was too late to help the woman who, weeks earlier, had tried to protect herself from her own son.
Warnings That Went Unheeded
The case record shows Leyva had reason to fear her son well before her death. She texted Kirk on Nov. 8, 2024, telling him, “You need to leave. I don't want anyone in my house,” the county's statement says. She contacted Gladstone police asking for help on both Nov. 8 and Nov. 11, 2024, according to the same account.
A month before Leyva died, Kirk left his son a voicemail claiming his grandmother was possessed and saying he had almost put a bullet in her head the day before, the county reported. In the weeks before her death, Leyva told a close friend that Kirk believed she was possessed, the same source notes.
Addiction and an Obsession With Possession
Prosecutors said Kirk struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and became obsessed with the idea that his mother was possessed, according to KOIN. The Tampa Free Press reported that prosecutors described Kirk as volatile, dangerous, and frequently drunk or high on methamphetamine. Those characterizations, drawn from prosecutors, frame the backdrop against which Leyva repeatedly sought help in the days before she was killed.
Tyler Leyva, identified as Rosa Leyva's nephew, said his aunt was murdered by her own son and that he never imagined the person he grew up with would be responsible, according to the Tampa Free Press.
Kirk Says He Will Appeal
Following his sentencing, Kirk said he plans to appeal, claiming he didn't receive a fair trial, KOIN reported. No further detail on the basis for that appeal has been made public. For now, the sentence stands: life in prison, with a minimum of 25 years before Kirk can seek parole.
