On December 23, 2000, 16-year-old William Lee Lembcke killed his parents, Robert and Diana, his sister Jolene, and his younger brother Wesley inside their home near Addy, Washington. Investigators said the killings followed family tension. Lembcke first claimed he was angry because his father scolded him about not helping with firewood. Later reports said the conflict was more serious and involved secret recordings he had made of his sister.

After the shootings, Lembcke tried to hide the crime. He moved the bodies in the family pickup truck, left them along a rural road, painted over bloodstains, and told relatives the family had gone to California. Relatives became suspicious after the family had not been seen for several days. On December 30, 2000, deputies checked the home, found signs of blood, and arrested Lembcke. He later confessed to killing all four victims.

In August 2001, Lembcke was convicted of four counts of aggravated first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. His conviction was upheld in 2003.