Daijiworld Media Network - Portland

Portland, Aug 24: The bodies of five people were found at a rural property outside Portland, Oregon, and authorities are investigating the deaths as a quintuple homicide, officials said Sunday.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office said deputies initially responded early Saturday to reports of a vehicle fire at a property in Forest Grove, about 30 miles (48 km) west of downtown Portland.

Responding personnel subsequently discovered the remains of five people as well as several domestic animals at the property.

Investigators said they do not believe the incident was a random act of violence. No arrests have been made and no suspects were in custody as of Sunday.

Authorities have not disclosed the ages or genders of the victims, how they died or whether they were connected to one another. They also did not specify what types of animals were found dead.

At a news conference on Sunday afternoon, Detective Shannon Wilde of the Washington County Sheriff's Office said investigators were still working to establish the identities of the victims.

She described the investigation as particularly complex because of the number of deaths and the size of the crime scene.

Wilde said authorities had delayed publicly releasing details because they were working to identify the victims and notify their next of kin. Investigators were also dealing with what she described as a highly active investigation involving multiple aspects.

Officials said they wanted to ensure that information released to the public was accurate and responsibly communicated.

Washington County Sheriff Caprice Massey appealed to anyone familiar with the property or its occupants to come forward with information that could assist investigators.

Massey said that in her 22 years with the sheriff's office, she had never been involved in or witnessed a crime scene of comparable complexity involving such an investigation.

The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to determine the circumstances surrounding the five deaths and identify those responsible.