Guns, pill bottles, holes in wall found in Spanish Fork house where couple was killed

Newly released court documents describe the disarray found inside the home of a Spanish Fork couple who police believe were shot to death by their son, Tryston Erickson.

Newly released court documents describe the disarray found inside the home of a Spanish Fork couple who police believe were shot to death by their son, Tryston Erickson. (Family photo)


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SPANISH FORK — Numerous guns, holes in the walls and pill bottles were found inside the home where the bodies of a Spanish Fork couple who were shot to death were discovered in March.

The disarrayed scene inside the home is detailed in recently unsealed search warrants filed in 4th District Court. They also detail a message sent to Jeannie Parker's co-workers, perhaps after she died, and that the couple may have been in the process of evicting the son charged with killing them.

On March 14, Spanish Fork police were called to conduct a welfare check on Timothy Parker, 58, and his wife, Jeannie Parker, 50, after both had failed to show up for work. Inside the house, 1419 S. 2250 East in Spanish Fork, officers found the couple's bodies. Both had been shot.

Tryston Robert Erickson, 26 — Jeannie's son and Timothy's stepson — is charged with two counts of aggravated murder and other crimes in connection with their deaths. He was arrested following a chase with police in Grand County, Colorado. He remained in custody in Colorado on Thursday on charges related to the chase, as police in Utah continue to work to have him extradited back to Utah to face charges.

Timothy Parker was last seen leaving work during the afternoon of March 11, according to a pair of search warrant affidavits. Police say Jeannie Parker also missed work on both March 11 and March 13.

"Neighbors further stated that Jeannie had missed church on Sunday (March 12) which was said to be unusual for her," the affidavit states.

Adding to the mystery, Jeannie Parker's co-workers told police they had sent a text message to her asking where she was.

"A message came back from Jeannie's phone stating she had found a new job," according to the affidavit. "This was a complete surprise as Jeannie had not spoken to anyone about this or put in her two weeks notice. This was cause for belief that someone else may have had possession of Jeannie's phone."

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When police entered the Parkers' home to conduct a welfare check, two bodies were found partially covered with a blanket in a basement bedroom, the affidavits state. In addition, "officers discovered approximately two dozen firearms scattered throughout the home as well as drugs and drug paraphernalia. These drugs appear to be prescription drugs that were crushed and set in a line which is common for snorting drugs. I noticed holes in the walls, a hammer and drill on the ground, bullet casings as well as a safe in an upstairs bedroom which was opened."

One warrant further states that officers found "approximately 13 firearms stacked against a basement couch, firearm ammunition scattered throughout the house, holes in the drywall and bedroom doors, partially drunk bottles of liquor on the kitchen counter, empty beer bottles and prescription bottles scattered throughout. As a result of these findings, this welfare check was then treated as a homicide investigation."

Police also found "blood residue on stairs leading to the basement, and blood residue in the downstairs hallway leading from the entryway of Tryston's bedroom to the room where Timothy and Jeannie's bodies were located."

"The investigation revealed that efforts had been made to clean up the scene, including cleaning up blood and laundering clothing that appeared to have blood on them," according to the charging documents. "Timothy's forearm had been burned after he died. Timothy was found to be wearing the same clothes he had been wearing when he left work."

Detectives quickly focused their attention on Erickson.

Some of Timothy Parker's co-workers told police that "Timothy had made it known to his co-workers that he was in the process of evicting his adult stepson," the affidavit states.

Neighbors told police they saw Erickson on the afternoon of March 12 smoking a cigarette outside of the residence.

This flier was published when Tryston Erickson went missing in Spanish Fork in February 2023. He is charged with shooting and killing his mother and stepfather in Spanish Fork. The bodies were found on March 14.
This flier was published when Tryston Erickson went missing in Spanish Fork in February 2023. He is charged with shooting and killing his mother and stepfather in Spanish Fork. The bodies were found on March 14. (Photo: Family photos)

Police were familiar with Erickson, having recently dealt with him when his mother called officers on Feb. 22 to report him as missing. Erickson later returned home on his own. Police were told at the time that Erickson suffered from mental health problems, the affidavit states.

"Tryston is known to have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is a known drug user. I was assigned a missing person case with him last month and he eventually came home," an officer wrote in the affidavit.

Police noted that Erickson's vehicle, which had recently been in an accident, was still parked in front of the house, but Jeannie Parker's car was missing. Detectives, as a precaution, "pinged" all three of the family's phones, Erickson's and the Parkers'.

After Jeannie Parker's phone was determined to be in Colorado, authorities there were notified and Erickson was later arrested. When he was taken into custody, police say he had one handgun in his waistband and two more in the car.

Spanish Fork police detectives traveled to Colorado to interview Erickson. When asked why he fled from Colorado authorities, he said, "I knew I was going to jail anyway, and I thought I would have a little fun," the affidavit states, adding that Erickson said he was in Colorado because he "wanted to go for a drive."

Police say he also explained why he was in his mother's vehicle: "It was parked out front, so I stole her car."

Erickson claimed he did not know his mother's cellphone and three guns were in her car, but when he saw the firearms he "decided to put one in his waistband when he stopped for gas on one occasion," according to the affidavit.

Police looking through Erickson's phone also "found photographs that were taken of Jeannie and Timothy on Sunday night (March 12), deceased," the charges state.

After receiving evidence that authorities in Grand County, Colorado, had collected, Spanish Fork police arranged for Jeannie Parker's car to be loaded onto a tow truck and then followed the truck back to Utah County where the vehicle was booked into evidence.

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Pat Reavy is a longtime police and courts reporter. He joined the KSL.com team in 2021, after many years of reporting at the Deseret News and KSL NewsRadio before that.

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