Salem couple found in their home in March died from murder-suicide, DA says

The Salem couple found dead in their home in March died from a murder-suicide, Marion County District Attorney officials said Thursday.

Investigators said Juan "Braulio" Roque De Le Jeuerta, 37, shot and killed his wife, Kali Roque, 38, on March 30, before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Marion County District Attorney's Office officials said investigators did not locate any information connecting Kali Roque’s death to the death of her mother, Theresa Hethorn.

Hethorn, 62, was found dead at her home in Monmouth in November. Questions surrounded her death for months, spurring even more concern when her daughter died four months later.

Hethorn's son and Kali Roque's brother, Robin Hethorn, was arrested in April and charged with murdering his mother.

Previous coverage:Son charged in mother's Monmouth murder, questions remain on death of Salem couple

District attorney officials said any allegation that the deaths of Hethorn and the Roques were connected is unsubstantiated in the investigation.

Hethorn worked in the Dallas School District as an English Language Learner teacher and director of migrant education. She won several awards for her work.

Both women were educators

In a GoFundMe page created for her family, she's described as the ultimate grandmother, educator and staple of the local community.

On her Facebook page at the time, Roque wrote that her heart shattered when she heard of her mom's death.

"She had a huge impact on the Dallas School District community," she wrote. "Saying she will be missed is such an understatement. She was the center of this family and we will forever have a hole in our hearts."

Roque was a licensed clinical social worker for Salem-Keizer Public Schools, employed by the district since 2017. She most recently worked at Roberts High School at Chemeketa, the Behavior Intervention Center and West Salem feeder schools.

A fundraiser following her mother's death said Roque had a daughter in kindergarten and a 4-year-old son. Newspaper archives listed her as a graduate of Central High School in Independence, where she played volleyball and was an all-state softball athlete.

Friends said Juan Roque worked in landscaping, hailed from the Dominican Republic and played softball with the Oregon Latin Softball League.

Details of the Salem murder-suicide case

County records show the couple in 2022 had purchased a home in northeast Salem, outside city limits, in the 4600 block of Carolina Avenue NE near Brown Road NE.

On March 30, Roque's sister-in-law brought her niece home after hosting a sleepover. She said Kali Roque had stopped responding to her text messages. When she let herself into the home, she found their younger child sleeping and unharmed.

She found Kali Roque and Juan Roque dead in the guest bedroom and called 911.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office investigators said all entrances to the residence were locked and secure.  There were no signs of forced entry nor did any valuables appear missing or disturbed. 

Investigators found a Taurus G2C 9mm handgun next to Juan Roque that held 11 of 13 maximum charges. Two shell casings were located at the scene. The gun was legally registered to Juan Roque.

They both died of gunshot wounds to the head.

Law enforcement searching located and reviewed personal items belonging to Kali Roque, including a journal and her cell phone.

"No information collected from those two items suggested that Kali Roque was suicidal," officials with the Marion County District Attorney's Office said. Individuals close to the family indicated that Kali Roque had been depressed since the death of her mother; however, Kali Roque’s medical records were obtained .... indicating a low or mild risk of suicidality."

Investigators were unable to access the data on Juan Roque's phone.

Law enforcement interviewed neighbors, who said they didn’t observe anything suspicious the day before and didn't hear any gunshots. Overall, the family was described as normal, and no neighbors expressed any concerns, investigators said.

A friend of Juan Roque said he had spoken with him the day before his death. 

During that conversation, Juan Roque had stated that Kali Roque was going through a lot since the death of her mother, that their marriage was ending, and that he (Juan Roque) had been struggling with his mental health," investigators said. "While the specific mental health issues weren’t discussed, Juan Roque did say that he had called a mental health helpline who encouraged Juan Roque to place his firearms with a friend to remove them from the residence."  

The friend helped removed the guns, but when he asked Juan Roque about a missing Taurus gun, Roque told him he had sold it.

District attorney's officials said the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office declined to perform an autopsy on the bodies.

Forensic analysis for the Taurus firearm recovered from the scene has not been concluded. Toxicology reports remain pending with Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory. 

The Roque children are now living with extended family members.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth