He killed his grandparents so he and his fiance could move into their Key Peninsula home, prosecutors allege

A 26-year-old man plotted with his fiance to kill his grandparents so the couple could start a commune at the grandparents’ house on Key Peninsula, court documents allege.

Ezra Fleming Ralston was charged Wednesday, along with his fiance, 22-year-old Rebecka Neubauer, with two counts of first-degree aggravated murder.

Firefighters were called Sunday to a home in the 18800 block of Bayview Road NW in Vaughn and found the house engulfed in flames.

The bodies of a man and woman were found lying side by side in the basement.

The victims have not been officially identified, but friends and neighbors say they were Ted Ralston, 71, and his wife, Joanna Gormley, 73.

Both were retirees, well-known and well-liked on the Key Peninsula. They had recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married in 1969 on the waterfront lawn in the same house in which they died.

Investigators were immediately suspicious because the victims were “positioned as if their bodies had been dragged down the stairs,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers.

Five gas cans, a bloody mattress and evidence of a propane explosion were also discovered.

Gormley appeared to have suffered stab wounds to her neck and Ralston had stab wounds to the chest, records say.

Missing from the Vaughn home was the couple’s Nissan Sentra and their grandson, Ezra.

Ralston’s mother told detectives her son was “not mentally well” and asked them to help find him.

His father told investigators Ralston called him earlier that day to say his grandparents had fevers and sore throats.

“The defendant’s father stated he was concerned and wanted to speak to his parents, but the defendant said he couldn’t get them to the phone,” according to charging papers.

Ralston’s father asked him to call 911 and have an ambulance take his grandparents to a hospital.

Through an exchange of text messages, Ralston allegedly told his father his grandparents were being treated at a hospital, were in a “safe zone” and were being kept overnight for observation, records say.

Not long afterward, a neighbor called Ralston’s father to tell him the Vaughn house was on fire.

His son did not answer a phone call.

Police found the victims’ Nissan Sentra outside a Lakewood apartment complex where Ralston’s fiance lived with her mother.

Ralston, who was found inside, was taken into custody and told deputies, “I have an excuse for all of it,” records say.

Both Ralston and Neubauer were expected to be arraigned Thursday.

Neubauer’s mother told investigators she’d heard her daughter “make a ‘joke’ about defendant Ralston killing his grandparents so she and Ralston could move into their home,” according to charging papers.

Neubauer admitted talking about killing Ralston’s grandparents, and said she can be “morbid,” records say.

Messages between Ralston and Neubauer were allegedly discovered with the couple discussing plans to start a commune, how to cover up the murders and how to dispose of the victims’ bodies.

When Ralston would express frustration, Neubauer would express her love and say, “You’re so amazing, you got this,” records say.

“It appears defendant Ralston wanted to kill his grandparents to take over their house,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers.

On Wednesday night, deputies arrested Neubauer.

This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 10:37 AM.