Three found dead after fire
A father, mother and daughter are dead and their son hospitalized following what state police are calling a “suspicious” house fire along Kennedy Street Extension in North Union Township. State police would not identify the victims, but according to an Associated Press report, Larry Bobish, his wife, Joanne, and their 17-year-old daughter, Crystal, are all dead in what authorities believe may have been a triple homicide.
According to Fayette County District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon, the incident is being handled as a criminal investigation.
“There is a strong possibility that all three were homicides and maybe an arson,” she said in a telephone interview Sunday night.
The Bobish’s 8-year-old son, L.J. Bobish, was taken to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh with unspecified injuries, according Associated Press.
Hospital officials said Sunday they’ve been asked not to release information on his condition.
Police wouldn’t say if the Bobishes died in the fire or from some other cause, but said they suspected foul play.
North Union Township fire chief Aaron Coleman said the doublewide, located at 323 Kennedy St. Extension, was completely engulfed with flames when his department arrived on the scene within minutes of the 6:50 a.m. alarm.
He said the right side of the house had already collapsed and other parts were falling when his men arrived.
“It was pretty intense from the start. We’re there to save lives not lose them. We knew people were in there and we could see by the way the fire was burning it would be tough (to save anyone),” he said.
While it took firefighters 15 to 20 minutes to get the fire under control, Coleman said firefighters preceded inside the house after a five to 10 minute “exterior attack.”
“After we knocked the fire down, we preceded inside and then we located the bodies,” he said.
According to Vernon, bodies were recovered in the hallway, kitchen and living area of the home.
She said two of the bodies were “badly burned.”
Vernon, state police and Fayette County Coroner Phillip Reilly were all working together at the scene to collect evidence Sunday night.
“I think we are coming to that point (of having concrete evidence),” Vernon said.
State police arson investigators were also called in Sunday.
State police and the Fayette County Coroner’s office declined further comment until today when autopsies on the fire victims are scheduled in Pittsburgh.
The home, which was destroyed, is located in a somewhat remote area with a stand of trees just beyond the back yard.
The house, which sits on a concrete block foundation, was still standing, but the fire burned a large hole through the front of the structure.
Two state police officers guarded the area, which was also roped off with yellow tape, Sunday evening.
In addition to North Union, personnel from Hopwood, West Leisenring, Dunbar and Uniontown EMS assisted at the scene.