The deaths of Jeannie and Timothy Parker are now at the center of an aggravated murder case against her son.
SPANISH FORK, Utah — Concern from co-workers led police to a Spanish Fork home where Jeannie Parker and Timothy Parker were found shot to death in 2023, launching a case now headed toward trial.
The couple’s absence from work was the first public sign that something was wrong. Jeannie Parker, 50, and Timothy Parker, 58, had not shown up as expected, and police were asked to check on them March 14, 2023. Three years later, Jeannie Parker’s son, Tryston Robert Erickson, has been ordered to stand trial on aggravated murder and related charges.
Officers went to the Parkers’ home near 1400 South and 2250 East after the welfare-check request. Police tried to reach the couple and then entered the house through an unlocked window. Inside, they found the Parkers in a basement bedroom, partially covered by blankets. Both had been shot. What officers saw in the house caused them to treat the call as a homicide investigation. Search warrant records later described firearms, ammunition, holes in walls and signs that blood had been cleaned before police arrived.
The path to that discovery began with ordinary routines that had broken down. Timothy Parker was last seen leaving work in the afternoon on March 11, according to search warrant affidavits. Jeannie Parker missed work on March 11 and March 13. Neighbors told investigators that she also missed church March 12, which they said was unusual. Co-workers tried to reach her by text and received a message from her phone saying she had found a new job. Investigators said that message raised concern because Jeannie Parker had not told co-workers she planned to leave or given notice.
Once police were inside the house, they found more than the bodies. Court records say officers saw about two dozen firearms scattered throughout the residence, with some stacked near a basement couch. They also reported bullet casings, holes in drywall and bedroom doors, a hammer, a drill, an open safe, pill bottles, drugs and drug paraphernalia. Blood residue was seen on stairs to the basement and in a downstairs hallway. Police later said clothing that appeared to have blood on it had been placed in the laundry.
Investigators also found that Erickson, who lived with his mother and stepfather, was gone. So was Jeannie Parker’s Hyundai Elantra, which police said Erickson did not have permission to drive. Detectives used phone location information as they tried to find the missing family members and the vehicle. Jeannie Parker’s phone was traced to the area of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Utah authorities alerted Colorado police, who later spotted the missing Hyundai about 50 miles away near Kremmling.
Police said Erickson did not stop when officers tried to pull him over. A chase followed in Grand County, Colorado, before he was taken into custody. Officers said Erickson had one handgun in his waistband and two more guns in the car. Police also reported finding bank cards belonging to family members. During questioning, Erickson said he had gone for a drive, according to court documents. He later admitted taking the car and phone, police said. Investigators said he described knowing jail was likely and wanting “a little fun” before his arrest.
The investigation then turned back to the Spanish Fork home and to what police found on Erickson’s phone. Detectives said the phone contained photographs of Jeannie and Timothy Parker after they were dead. The photos were taken March 12, according to charging documents, two days before the welfare check. That date became important because neighbors had reported seeing Erickson outside the home the same day, smoking a cigarette. The timeline also conflicted with Erickson’s statement that he last saw the couple alive at dinner March 13, police said.
Police and prosecutors also examined the relationship between Erickson and the Parkers before the killings. Timothy Parker’s co-workers told investigators that Timothy had said he was trying to evict his adult stepson from the house. Court records do not show that any motive has been proven. They do show that prosecutors consider the alleged eviction effort part of the background of the case. Erickson is presumed innocent unless convicted, and a jury has not yet heard the evidence.
The charges against Erickson cover both the killings and events after them. He faces two counts of aggravated murder. Prosecutors also charged him with obstruction of justice and theft, both second-degree felonies, along with abuse or desecration of a human body, three counts of possession or use of a firearm as a restricted person and unlawful possession or use of a financial card. The firearm counts are tied to the weapons police said they found with him and to his status under Utah law.
The case did not move quickly to trial. In early 2024, the court process paused after a motion asked for Erickson’s competency to be reviewed. Competency proceedings decide whether a defendant can understand the court process and work with attorneys. After several hearings, Erickson was found competent in December 2025. That finding allowed the case to resume. A preliminary hearing was then held across March 18 and May 1, 2026, before Fourth District Judge Thomas Low ruled that prosecutors had met the probable-cause standard. The judge’s order sends the case into the arraignment phase. At arraignment, Erickson will be asked to enter pleas to the charges. A not guilty plea would move the case toward scheduling, motions and a possible trial. A guilty plea would move the case toward sentencing, though no plea had been entered as of the latest public reports. Prosecutors have not publicly announced a trial date. Erickson remains in custody.
For investigators, the case joins several forms of evidence that emerged from different places. The first was the condition of the home. The second was the missing Hyundai and Jeannie Parker’s phone, which led police into Colorado. The third was digital evidence from Erickson’s phone. The fourth was witness information from neighbors and co-workers who described missed work, missed church, the text message and the alleged eviction discussions. Each piece is expected to matter as prosecutors try to prove the charges at trial.
The Parkers were found because people noticed they were missing from daily life. That concern led officers into the house, then to a search across state lines and finally to a courtroom where the case is now moving forward. Erickson’s arraignment is scheduled for June 10.
Author note: Last updated June 2, 2026.