Three victims who suffered gunshot wounds and whose bodies were found in the remnants of an intense house fire in early August are being remembered by loved ones for their passion for the landscape and the people of east Skagit County.
Law enforcement responded to a residential fire mid-morning on Friday, Aug. 9 on State Route 530 south of Rockport, and found that the two-story A-frame cabin belonging to Erin Birman was destroyed.
A little over a week later, on Aug. 17, the three victims recovered were identified by the Skagit County Coroner’s Office: Erin Birman, 52; her son, Taylor Dawson, 19; and Dawson’s girlfriend, Jillian Whitney Van Boven, 18. Gunshots contributed to the death of all three victims, police said.
A warrant was issued the same day for the arrest of Erin’s husband, Jason, who is wanted for three counts of second-degree murder.
Erin’s remaining children, Kaylee, Kyle, Kendra and Heaven, described her as “a force of nature, a woman who faced life’s challenges head-on with a spirit that could never be broken.” She had 11 grandchildren.
“She didn’t just overcome her struggles — she transcended them, becoming a pillar of strength not only for our family but for the community and everyone whose lives she touched,” Erin’s daughter, Kendra Thompkins, wrote in a message to Cascadia Daily News.
Erin had worked as a mental health professional embedded with the crisis response team in the East Precinct of Skagit County Sheriff’s Office. Representatives with Skagit County declined to comment on her employment given the ongoing investigation.
Christel Bulawan, who lives a few driveways down from the scene of the fire, believes that in the rural eastern part of the county, community connection is essential. She remembers first meeting Erin, Jason and Taylor in 2019, when Christel, her husband Keoni and her niece headed over to the blue A-frame for a cook-out. Christel found Erin and Jason to be good people with shared interests who were employed locally, she told CDN on Aug. 14. She was surprised and disturbed to learn later that day that Jason had survived the house fire and was a “person of interest” for law enforcement.
Jason, 49, married Erin in 2018 and is a former resident of Bellingham. He has a lengthy criminal record in Washington and Ohio, with non-violent offenses including driving without a license, trespassing and receiving stolen property. Police are asking for the public’s help in finding Jason and his truck, a 1994 Chevrolet pickup with Washington plates, registration C67636L.
Matt Van Boven, Jillian’s father who lives just a mile south of the Birmans, said he felt blessed and thankful for the memories he shared with his daughter. Matt and his then-wife GuruBani adopted Jillian when she was 9, and she immediately took to outdoor life in the Upper Skagit region, swimming in the bracingly cold Sauk River and camping up overgrown logging roads.
“She was quite the character and really left a mark on a lot of people,” Matt said about Jillian. He said he has been inundated with concern, condolences and offers of food since the community learned about his loss.
Matt echoed other neighbors’ surprise at the circumstances surrounding the investigation. He had met Erin and Jason because his daughter was spending time at their house with Taylor Dawson, her boyfriend of two years.
Taylor and Jillian shared a deep love of the outdoors and both enjoyed hiking barefoot in the mountains.
At the time of her death, Jillian had been pursuing her two interests: forensics and big animal veterinary science. She loved true crime stories, horses and dogs — her loyal German Shepherd, Bridget, escaped the fire and was recovered by GuruBani. Taylor had three dogs of his own.
“He had a special bond with his dogs, who were more than just pets — they were his companions, his confidants, and a source of endless joy,” Taylor’s sister Kendra said. “The way he cared for them reflected the depth of his kindness and the love he had for all living beings.”
Taylor had been employed at Howard Miller Steelhead Park near the confluence of the Sauk and Skagit rivers. He had also done some work on Matt’s agroforestry operation, Feral Farm, and the young couple dreamed one day of taking over the farm so they could stay in the area and watch over their aging parents. Matt said that the two teenagers had been living frugally to save up for a rental of their own.
“He was always there when you needed him — no matter the time, no matter the task, he was the first to offer his help,” Kendra added about Taylor. “His generosity knew no bounds, and his quiet strength was a comfort to all of us. He had a way of making you feel seen, understood, and cared for, just by being himself.”
GoFundMe pages have been set up for Erin and Taylor’s family, Jillian’s father Matt and her mother GuruBani Whitney Young to help offset the costs of memorial services, counseling and other unexpected expenses due to the tragedy.
If the public has any information about Jason Birman’s whereabouts, they are encouraged to call the tip line at 360-661-2319.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
