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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Sheriff: Oregon man, suspected in parents’ death, kills self

The Columbian
Published:

EUGENE, Ore.— An Oregon man accused of murdering his parents and storing their bodies in a freezer has died in a hospital after a suicide attempt in his jail cell, authorities said.

Lane County sheriff’s Sgt. Carrie Carver said Jeremy Ringquist, 38, of Springfield died Thursday night.

County jail deputies discovered his suicide attempt late Wednesday night, finding him with what Carver described as “linens around his neck.” Deputies had been checking him at least hourly and he had been seen regularly in jail by mental health staff.

He was arrested last week on two counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of Randy and Karen Ringquist, with whom he lived in Springfield, 110 miles south of Portland.

Their bodies were found in the family home on June 23.

Officers had gone to the house twice in recent weeks after an out-of-state relative couldn’t reach the family and asked police to check on them. Each time, notes on the door said the family was gone. When an officer knocked on the door on June 23, a man inside called 911 and asked for a police negotiator.

More officers arrived and forced their way in when the caller did not come to the door. Jeremy Ringquist was found bleeding from injuries believed to be self-inflicted, police said. He was initially taken to a hospital, then jailed on June 25.

Investigators found the two bodies in a chest-style freezer.

Neighbors told The Register-Guard newspaper that the son moved in with his parents about six months ago following a divorce. They said the family had a tumultuous relationship, with the 63-year-old father often verbally abusive toward his wife and son.

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