I lived with my family till I was 21. We were a happy family, and after my mother's passing (when I was 18), we all stuck together to help the family continue. My dad got remarried, and so my brother and I moved out. It was (and still is) a great house. All my homes have been great... great enough to something unthinkable for? Nope!

Ezra Fleming Ralston has been sentenced to life in prison for wanting his own house to start a commune. Now, that's not the reason he's not living on his waterfront property. It is because it was never his property, but his grandparents, who he was living with!

29-year-old Ralston was convicted on two counts of murder, arson, and conspiracy to commit murder. The crimes occurred in May of 2020, but Ralston was just convicted in June and sentenced in August of this year.

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Ralston, along with his girlfriend and two others, plotted to kill his grandparents, Joanna Gormley (73) and Ted Ralston (71), and take control over the home on Key Peninsula near Tacoma.

A statement released on Pierce County Sheriff’s Department's Facebook Page reads in part:

"Over the course of the investigation, our detectives determined that the victim's live-in grandson and several friends plotted to kill his grandparents so they could set up some type of commune on the victims' waterfront property in Vaughn. Detectives conducted numerous interviews, executed multiple search warrants, and examined a large amount of evidence to identify the four suspects involved in the murders."

More reports mention mental illness issues and the decision to burn the house to cover up the crime when Ralston decided that the house was starting to resemble "a science experiment with dead frogs."

The 3 other members of Ralston's group are also serving time behind bars. Click Here for the full story.

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Several murders have yet to be solved in Washington. These unsolved murders haunt the families and friends of the victims. Even with various law enforcement agencies across the state working tirelessly to bring these folks some closure, there is still help needed on the part of the everyday resident. Crime Stoppers of Tacoma/Pierce County urges anyone with a tip to call 1-800-222-TIPS. Tips that lead to the arrest of a suspect could be rewarded with up to $1,000.

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