Man convicted of killing mother who threatened to evict him, believed she was ‘possessed’

OREGON CITY, Ore. (KPTV/Gray News) — An Oregon man has been found guilty of murdering his mother, whom he believed was possessed by demons.

Ronald Joseph Kirk, 38, was convicted of second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm in Clackamas County court on Tuesday.

Prosecutors said Kirk was living with his mother, 61-year-old Rosa Leyva, in her small Gladstone home when Leyva didn’t come into work early on Nov. 26, 2024.

People who knew Leyva had concerns about Kirk and testified in court that he was volatile, dangerous and frequently drunk or high on meth.

Gladstone police went to the home to conduct a welfare check that same day after Leyva did not answer calls from coworkers and loved ones. Kirk answered the door and told officers that his mother was inside and had not been conscious for about a day, according to prosecutors.

Officers found Leyva’s body sitting at the dining room table in front of her laptop, covered in pillowcases with a single gunshot wound to the head.

Investigators learned that Leyva expressed concern about her son’s behavior fueled by alcohol and drug use, and that Kirk became obsessed with exorcism and demonic possession while under the influence.

A month before Leyva’s death, Kirk had left her a voicemail in which he claimed she was possessed and had “almost” put a bullet in her head the day before.

Leyva had planned to legally evict Kirk and texted him that she wanted him out of her house on Nov. 8, 2024.

Kirk is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 4 and faces a potential life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in prison.