Fundraiser, memorial set up for Casey and Misty Slade Orton, killed by their teen son

A GoFundMe memorial and fundraiser started by a family member of Casey and Misty Slade Orton, who police say were fatally stabbed by their 17-year-old son in their Cedar Rapids home last week, has surpassed its $8,000 goal, reaching $10,300 on Thursday.

Matthew Gorrell, Misty’s brother, organized the online fundraising to help the family with funeral, travel and other expenses related to their deaths.

“We are deeply saddened at the sudden passing of Casey and Misty, ” Gorrell, of Cedar Rapids, stated on the GoFundMe page, which was created three days ago. “Anyone who knew Casey and Misty knows they loved each other, their children, their family, and their many friends deeply. They were extremely generous people who always looked for ways to help others.”

He said Casey was always a positive person and Misty’s personality was “larger than life bringing light and happiness everywhere she went.” His sister and brother-in-law were friends to all and a “great example of compassionate loving people,” Gorrell stated on the page.

The page so far had 64 donors and has been shared 555 times.

The Gazette reached out to Gorrell but he hasn’t responded to an email request for comment.

Last week, Cedar Rapids officers received a 911 call about 2:10 a.m. Oct. 14 about suspicious noises coming from the Orton house, 361 Carnaby Dr. NE, a criminal complaint stated.

When officers arrived, they found Ethan Alexander Orton, 17, covered in “what appeared to be blood” outside the house, according to court documents. He told officers he stabbed his parents to death. He slashed them both with a knife and then struck his mother with an ax when he realized she was still alive.

Officers found the bodies of Casey Orton, 42, and Misty Slade Orton, 41, inside the house.

The teen during an interview later told investigators that he killed his parents “to take charge of his life,” the criminal complaint stated.

Orton was charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree murder. He remains in the Benton County Jail on a $2 million cash only bail.

Gavin McGrath, general manager of McGrath Auto, told The Gazette last week that Casey had been an auto technician in the Chevyland department since 2018 and Misty started a few months ago in McGrath’s business development center.

McGrath said the couple moved from the Salt Lake area of Utah to Cedar Rapids about 4 1/2 years ago.

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