Oregon man allegedly thinks his mother is possessed by a demon, then shoots her and spends a full day relaxing with her corpse and a glass of wine

Ronald Kirk, an Oregon man who believed his mother was possessed by a demon, was sentenced to life in prison this week for shooting her and then spending about a day with her body. Kirk, 38, was convicted of murdering his 61-year-old mother, Rosa Leyva, in November 2024, as reported by Law&Crime.

Police went to the home for a welfare check after Leyva’s co-workers grew concerned and found her at the dining room table with a glass of wine and a laptop in front of her. Her body was draped with pillowcases, and Kirk, who answered the door, told officers his mother had been unconscious for about a day.

The judge ordered Kirk to serve at least 25 years before he can be considered for parole and to pay $5,000 in funeral expenses. A Clackamas County jury had found him guilty in October.

She was already trying to get him out of her house

Prosecutors said the 38-year-old son shot his mother in the head after she texted him to leave her home, as she was in the process of evicting him. Leyva had previously told him, “I don’t want anyone in my house,” and home surveillance recorded her telling him, “You’re higher than a kite. Get some help. Please.”

During the trial, witnesses described Kirk as volatile and frequently under the influence of drugs. A close friend of Leyva claimed the mother had said Kirk believed she was possessed by a demon, and that he became obsessed with exorcism while using drugs.

Jurors, who convicted Kirk of second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, also heard a voicemail he left Leyva about a month before her death, according to Gray News. In it, he claimed she was possessed and said he had nearly shot her in the head the day before. Shootings between parents and adult children have led to murder cases in other states as well, including a Texas father accused in son’s death.

Under Oregon law, anyone convicted of second-degree murder who was at least 15 years old at the time must be sentenced to life in prison, according to the state’s murder statute. The law also requires the court to order a minimum of 25 years in custody without the possibility of parole.

During the sentencing, Leyva’s niece addressed Kirk directly. “I hope you are one day forced to confront the reality of what you have done,” she said, adding, “You have forfeited the privilege of being part of our lives. You are no longer someone we want contact with and there’s no place for you in our family’s future.”