Mother, 3 young children found dead in home: ‘They had bright, smiling faces’

WASHINGTON COUNTY Ore. (KPTV/Gray News) - Authorities in Oregon are investigating after the bodies of a mother and her three young children were found in a home Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, a woman, 37, and her three children were found dead in a Cornelius home.

The mother was identified as Hong Phuong Le, and the children as her 7-year-old son, Thanh Tien Dam; her 5-year-old daughter, Ha Ngan Dam and her 2-year-old daughter, Viena Mai Dam.

Deputies said they responded to a home in the 300 block of North 15th Avenue after a 911 caller reported finding the four bodies at the property.

Neighbors said the two eldest children attended Cornelius Elementary School, which is located near the home.

“We would see the kids happily playing on the driveway,” neighbor Casey Dennis said. “The mom taking them to school back and forth every day seemed like a very nice routine. They seemed like just another family in the neighborhood.”

According to Dennis, a fire broke out at the victims’ home a couple of months ago, which cut off their electricity.

Neighbors also noted that the victims were somewhat isolated in the community due to a language barrier, but that the children would always smile and wave.

“Even though they weren’t part of the normal communications in the neighborhood, they were a part of it,” another neighbor, Heather Murphy, said. “They had bright, smiling faces, I remember.”

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said it is a death investigation. No arrests have been made, but authorities say there is no threat to the public.