An Oregon man has been sentenced to life in prison following the murder of his mother, after investigators determined he spent “a full day” seated alongside her lifeless body at their dining room table. When law enforcement officers arrived at the residence, they discovered a glass of wine and a laptop placed in front of the deceased woman, with pillowcases draped over her body.
Ronald Kirk, 38, received his sentence this week for the murder of his 61-year-old mother, Rosa Leyva, which occurred in November 2024. During the sentencing hearing, Leyva’s niece addressed Kirk directly, stating, “I hope you are one day forced to confront the reality of what you have done,” as reported by local CBS affiliate KOIN.
The presiding judge denied Kirk any possibility of parole for a minimum of 25 years. He was additionally ordered to pay $5,000 toward funeral expenses.
A Clackamas County jury returned a guilty verdict against Kirk in October. Trial testimony characterized him as “volatile, dangerous and frequently drunk or high on meth,” according to KOIN. Prosecutors stated that Kirk shot Leyva in the head after she informed him via text message, “You need to leave,” and notified him that she was initiating eviction proceedings against him.
“I don’t want anyone in my house,” Leyva told Kirk.
In the weeks preceding her death, Leyva allegedly confided in a close friend that Kirk believed she was possessed by a demon. According to that friend, Kirk was allegedly “obsessed with exorcism and demonic possession” while under the influence of drugs.
Evidence presented at trial included a voicemail Kirk left for his son, in which he explained his belief that Leyva was demonically possessed and admitted that he had nearly shot her in the head the day prior to her actual killing, according to prosecutors.
Home surveillance footage captured Leyva telling Kirk, “You’re higher than a kite. Get some help. Please,” just days before her body was discovered on November 26, 2024. Authorities were contacted to perform a welfare check after Leyva’s colleagues grew concerned when she failed to report to work or respond to their attempts to reach her.
Investigators subsequently determined that Kirk had killed Leyva and then “sat there with his mother’s dead body for a full day” before officers arrived to conduct the welfare check. Kirk reportedly came to the door himself and informed officers that his mother was inside and had been unconscious for approximately one day.
“You have forfeited the privilege of being part of our lives,” Leyva’s niece told Kirk at his sentencing. “You are no longer someone we want contact with and there’s no place for you in our family’s future.”
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