‘Like the life was squeezed out of them:’ Family describes alleged abuse at home where 5 were killed
Sep 18, 2026, 6:20 AM
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Two family members testified that their suspicions of mistreatment of the children living inside the Fall City Home, where five people were killed, were confirmed by the two surviving children, including the young suspect, in a Thursday court hearing.
Sarah Humiston, her husband Mark Humiston, and three of their five kids were killed on October 21, 2024. Their eldest son is accused of their murder, and their then-11-year-old girl survived being shot.
The suspect was 15 at the time of the murders and is now 17. Hearings are taking place to determine whether he should be tried as an adult.
Kathryn Ogden, Sarah’s mother, continued her testimony, saying the surviving daughter said they were taught to act differently in front of people, describing it as a complete 180 from the normal.
Ogden confirmed her testimony from a week after the shooting that the youngest daughter still felt safe and loved the brother suspected of the shooting.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Fall City family murders: Teen suspect’s defense lawyer details alleged abuse inside the home
“He was her best brother,” Ogden said, saying that’s how the child would describe the suspect.
Ogden is now the guardian of that girl and says she keeps regular contact with the teenager suspected of the killings.
The suspect’s defense team did not deny the allegations that the teen killed his family, but rather focused on what they describe as an abusive environment inside the home that led to isolation, neglect of medical care, and fear for all five children who lived in the home.
In court hearings, Ogden described her perspective of the alleged abuse.
“You felt that what [the suspect] was saying was happening in the home and what [the daughter] has been saying was happening in the home are consistent?” the defense attorney asked.
“Yes,” Ogden answered.
“And because of that, you felt that it was validated because they hadn’t been talking to each other?” the attorney asked.
“Yes,” Ogden said.
Mark’s brother, Scott Humiston, testified the rest of Thursday. He said that he became estranged from his brother from 2012 to 2018 over a dispute over religion, saying they are ‘different’ kinds of Protestants.
In rekindling their relationship, Scott says he’d walk on eggshells around Mark and Sarah’s rules when visiting in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. He said he noticed Mark & Sarah’s kids would do the same.
“The spirit inside of these children, the vivaciousness, the level of life was being crushed by something,” Scott said, “I had guesses. It was a responsibility. It was expectations placed on the children. It was behaviors that they were required to exhibit. So I knew something was wrong.”
The court broke for recess at this moment as Scott broke down in tears.
Scott said he would coach his own kids to act differently around his brother and sister-in-law. He said his wife would call friends during visits because she questioned her parenting after being with Mark and Sarah for so long.
“They beat you down with their words,” Scott said, “They abused me, they abused my wife. We’re grown adults; I can walk out the door whenever I want.”
Scott said he always expected one of the children to show up on his doorstep, so he tried to always be present with them.
“If I don’t fly up there and make myself present so these kids can see Uncle Scott and Aunt Erin, so that there was a lifeline if they ever needed one, who’s going to be the lifeline?” Scott testified, “I mean, it almost became more important than restoring the relationship with my brother.”
Instead of a child showing up on the doorstep, a social worker called on October 21, 2024, to inform Scott about the murders. Since then, he has tried to build a relationship with his nephew, who is the suspect.
“I don’t know how else to say this. The blockade, the problem, the wall, the barrier has been removed and [the suspect]’s free from it. So maybe now I can help him, maybe I can make progress with him. I didn’t know if he’d be up for it, but what am I going to do, not try?” Scott said.
It’s through those conversations, Scott said he has “no doubt” the children were emotionally and physically abused.
