Judge keeps court hearings open to media in Fall City family murder case

Prosecutors alleged a 15-year-old boy shot and killed five family members in October 2024. According to KIRO 7, the judge denied a defense motion to close future court proceedings to the media.

It has not yet been determined whether the boy will be tried in juvenile court or as an adult. A hearing on that issue is scheduled for June 22.

Five family members killed in Fall City

The three children killed in Fall City were identified as 13-year-old Benjamin Humiston, 9-year-old Joshua Humiston, and 7-year-old Katheryn Humiston. The children’s parents, who were also killed, were identified as 43-year-old Mark Humiston and 42-year-old Sarah Humiston.

A fourth child, who was shot at the home — an 11-year-old — survived.

According to charging documents, the 15-year-old called 911, saying, “He just shot my whole family and committed suicide too.”

During the conversation, the 15-year-old said his brother had killed their family and “taken himself out.” He also said that he and another sibling were hiding in a bathroom in the house.

The 15-year-old later told officers a motive for his brother’s killing of the family was that he had been “caught looking at pornography” and was “about to get in a lot of trouble,” according to documents.

While the 15-year-old was on the line, the communications center received another 911 call from a neighbor who reported that the 11-year-old sibling arrived at his door and said her family had been shot and they were all dead. The neighbor then called 911 and relayed that the 11-year-old was injured from a possible gunshot wound.

The dispatcher asked the 11-year-old if she knew who shot her family. She said she heard gunshots and screaming, then saw the 15-year-old’s face, and that the 15-year-old was the one who shot her, according to documents.

Deputies arrived and detained the 15-year-old in the driveway.

According to documents, the 11-year-old later told law enforcement that the 15-year-old was the only one who knew the combination to her father’s Glock lockbox. She also said the 15-year-old had recently gotten into “a lot of trouble” for failing tests at school.

The Humiston parents homeschooled their children. Mark Humiston was an electrical engineer at Hargis Engineers in Seattle.