Deadly house fire near Houston prompts triple homicide investigation
"This is definitely a homicide," sheriff's detective said.
A fire that ripped through a home on Sunday in suburban Houston is being investigated as a triple homicide after investigators found evidence that three people discovered dead inside the residence were killed before the blaze started, authorities said.
The fire at the two-story brick home in Cypress, Texas, northwest of Houston, was reported Sunday morning, and while extinguishing the blaze, firefighters made the grim discovery of the three bodies inside and investigators found evidence of foul play, according to Sgt. Michael Ritchie of the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
The remains found inside the house were those of a mother, her adult son and his girlfriend, Ritchie said during a news conference outside the burned home on Sunday afternoon.
The victims were identified Monday afternoon by the sheriff's office as 54-year-old Kelly Ann Masciarelli, her 23-year-old son, Kolin Paul Foster, and his girlfriend Cameryn Richards, whose age was not released.
"These individuals look like they were deceased before the fire was started. So, this is definitely a homicide, not accidental death due to fire and smoke," Richie said.
The fire broke out around 7 a.m. at the home, which sits at the end of a cul-de-sac, prompting neighbors to call 911, the sheriff's office said in a statement Monday.
"Once firefighters went inside, they immediately located an adult female and removed her from the house into the front yard," according to the statement. "Once the fire was extinguished, two more bodies were discovered upstairs."
All three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
It remained unclear Monday if anyone else had been staying at the home, officials said.
Richie said trauma on the bodies noticed by firefighters and paramedics led investigators to launch a homicide investigation. He said investigators are waiting for autopsies to determine the exact cause of death.
Before entering the home, homicide investigators obtained a search warrant. The home also needed to be inspected to ensure the fire was completely out and it was safe to go inside, officials said.
Arson investigators advised the sheriff's office that the blaze looked to have been deliberately started by an accelerant, officials said.
"Unfortunately, we've seen this before in homicides where an individual will commit murder and then try to set a fire inside the home to cover their tracks," Richie said.
No arrests have been announced in the incident. But Richie said investigators are pursuing several leads.
"We are reviewing some video that we've been able to recover," Richie said. "We are looking for some possible suspects."