'They're in our heart': Cornelius community mourns mom, 3 kids found dead as homicide investigation continues
CORNELIUS, Ore. (KOIN) — A community is mourning as questions remain about the death of a Cornelius mom and her three children discovered at their home last week.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office has now confirmed to KOIN 6 News that it is a homicide investigation but there is still no suspect, nor has anyone been charged with a crime. The investigation is still ongoing, officials said. Last week, the sheriff's office said its Violent Crimes Unit was assisting with the investigation.
On April 8, Washington County Sheriff's deputies responded to the home near 300 N 15th Ave. after receiving a call from someone who found the family. When deputies arrived, they found a woman dead, along with three children, ages 2, 5 and 7. The woman was later identified as 37-year-old Hong Phuong Le.
The incident has since left the Cornelius community shaken.
On Thursday, a candlelight vigil was held to "spread love to our community." It began at 7 p.m. at Cornelius Elementary School, where the two older children were students.
School and community leaders spoke during the vigil, where about 100 people quietly grieved and handed out kindness rocks to spread a message of love and unity during this devastation.
"It's really hard to imagine what happened. We don't want to imagine what happened, but it's really important that that family keeps going and they are part of us. They're in our heart. They are part of our family, here at Cornelius," said Cornelius Elementary School Principal Angella Graves.
"When tragedies happen, instead of going against one another, we're here and we're supporting each other and we're showing up and that means everything," added Cornelius City Council President Angeles Godinez.
People recalled the family as being an important part of the community that interacted daily with others at the school. Many expressed the great loss rippling through the tight-knit town.
KOIN 6 will continue to follow this story and report on any developments moving forward.