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Update: Press release issued by
the Osage County Sheriff's Office at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14.
Jeremy Gaston | Reporter
SCRANTON—Four bodies, those of an adult and three juveniles,
were found Monday morning inside a residence at 212 S. Lawrence
in Scranton.
A 911 call placed around 10:39 a.m. that morning alerted the Osage
County Sheriff’s Office to a fire at that residence. A woman’s
voice on the other end of the line, repeated by dispatch over the
sheriff’s radio channel, said, “They’re all gone.”
The dispatcher later identified the ages of the juveniles as 9,
11 and 14.
Scranton police arrived at the scene shortly after the call, and
determined the fire to be extinguished. According to a press release
issued by the sheriff’s office, within 10 minutes of the call,
it was discovered that there were four victims deceased inside the
residence.
The bodies of the four victims were transported by First Call to
the Topeka Coroner’s Office Monday. Autopsies were performed
Tuesday afternoon.
The sheriff’s office made a general presumption as to the
identification of the deceased, and has notified the next of kin.
The victims’ names and causes of death had not been released
to the public as of Tuesday night.
Results of the autopsies, the names of the victims and the nature
of their deaths are expected to be released by the sheriff’s
office in a press conference to be held early afternoon Jan. 14.
The office’s Web site stated it would release the time and
place of the conference sometime Wednesday morning.
“We need to confirm before we release the names,” Osage
County Sheriff Laurie Dunn told The Herald-Chronicle Tuesday. “We’re
not 100 percent at this point. Notification is made, but until the
coroner’s office is completed [the names will not be released].”
Dunn told the media the fire inside the home was ruled arson.
“The State Fire Marshal’s Office is calling it incendiary,”
she said. “We haven’t gotten any specifics as to what
type of fire it was.”
The fire was contained completely to the inside of the residence.
A darkening on the windows from the smoke and yellow crime scene
tape surrounding the home were the only outward signs that an incident
had occurred at the residence.
According to Osage County Appraiser’s Web site, the home is
owned by Amy C. and Michael L. Shirley. The couple has three children
who attend Carbondale Attendance Center – third-grader Jackson,
fifth-grader Ashten and eighth-grader Ethan.
Students at Carbondale were addressed Tuesday by their classroom
teachers, who read letters prepared by CAC Principal Michael Flax.
“I’m sad to tell you that [the three students] are presumed
to have died yesterday morning,” Flax said of the statement
made to all students at CAC. “Law enforcement is investigating
the circumstances. Funeral arrangements are not complete at this
time, but we will give you that information when arrangements are
complete. Counselors are available to talk to you.”
Flax intended to address the students again when more information
and the confirmation of identities of the deceased became available.
“I will only give them details pertinent to the students’
understanding, and confirm what we believe to be true at this point
– that the bodies of those found were our students,”
Flax said.
He described the mood of the school as somber as students sustained
regular school activities Tuesday. School and related activities
continued to minimize disruption in the students’ lives (see
related story).
“We had lots of counselors in the building to help out,”
Flax said. “The staff has done a remarkable job.”
Sheriff’s officers have also been made available to the school.
The investigation of the incident spanned more than eight hours
at the scene Monday and continued Tuesday. Initial responders included
American Medical Response, and Carbondale and Scranton fire departments.
The Osage County Sheriff’s Office, Scranton Police Department
and the State Fire Marshal’s office are continuing the investigation.
The sheriff’s department asks that anyone with information
related to this incident call (877) OSCRIME. |
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