A Clackamas County jury convicted a Gladstone man of second-degree murder Tuesday, Oct. 20, for fatally shooting his mother at her home in November 2024.
Ronald Joseph Kirk, 38, was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the Clackamas County District Attorney's Office. He faces a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in prison. Sentencing is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, in Clackamas County Circuit Court.
Kirk lived with his mother, Rosa Leyva, 61, in her small home on Southeast Cason Road in Gladstone. Investigators determined Leyva died around 6:45 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2024, from a single gunshot wound to the head.
Leyva's coworkers grew concerned when she did not show up for work early on Nov. 26, 2024, according to court testimony presented at trial. Coworkers, family and friends called her, but she did not answer. Those who knew Leyva were aware that Kirk was volatile, dangerous and frequently drunk or high on methamphetamine, witnesses testified.
Gladstone police arrived at the home for a welfare check that day. Kirk answered the door and told officers his mother was inside and had not been conscious for about a day, prosecutors said.
Officers found Leyva sitting at her dining room table in front of her laptop. Her body was covered with pillowcases. A full glass of wine sat on the table before her.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Rusty Amos told the jury that Kirk "sat there with his mother's dead body for a full day."
Amos said Leyva had a relentless devotion to her son, but by early November 2024 she had grown exhausted by his drinking, drug use and explosive behavior. While under the influence, Kirk became obsessed with exorcism and demonic possession, according to the DA's office. In the weeks before her death, Leyva told a close friend that Kirk believed she was possessed.
A month before the killing, Kirk left a voicemail claiming Leyva was possessed and that he had "almost" put a bullet in her head the day before. The DA's office said the voicemail was left for Kirk's son; KPTV reported the voicemail was left for Leyva.
Leyva planned to legally evict Kirk. On Nov. 8, 2024, she texted him: "You need to leave. I don't want anyone in my house." She also contacted Gladstone police on Nov. 8 and Nov. 11, 2024, asking for help, increasingly fearful of Kirk's erratic behavior, according to the DA's office.
Home surveillance video from Nov. 11, 2024, shown to jurors, captured Leyva telling Kirk: "You're higher than a kite. Get some help. Please."
Kirk had no job, no money and nowhere to go, Amos told jurors. His mother was his sole support.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Rusty Amos and Deputy District Attorney Grace Hoffa prosecuted the case. No defense attorney was named in available public records. The case number is Clackamas County Circuit Court 24CR62810.
