FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — An April fire that killed four children when it swept a mobile home in northeastern Indiana began in or near a recliner, but investigators have been unable to determine what sparked the blaze, a coroner's office said.
The Allen County Coroner’s Office said Wednesday that a report from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office found that amount of fire damage the Fort Wayne mobile home sustained made it impossible to prove a definitive cause “to an acceptable level of certainty.”
Because of that uncertainty, the coroner’s office said the manner of the deaths of the four children had therefore been ruled as “undetermined.”
The coroner's office had previously ruled that smoke inhalation and thermal burns caused the April 21 deaths of Matthew Damron, 10, Johnnie Mann-Goff, 5, Jefferson Goff, 3, and Rosalynn Goff, 2.
PREVIOUS: Fatal Indiana fire: `We tried our best to get the kids out'
Four adults, including the children's mother, were hospitalized after escaping the fire, which the state fire marshal's report said investigators believe began “in or around the area of a recliner” in the mobile home.
The mobile home was destroyed, with heavy fire, water and smoke damage, the report said.
Firefighters brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes, at which time they entered the home and found the children’s bodies.
Fort Wayne is located about 120 miles (195 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.
-
Putin claims Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that the West can't stop
Russian President Vladimir Putin claims Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that the West can't stop.
Man sentenced to 20 years in prison after shaking infant son to death in 2021
An Indianapolis father will spend over 20 years in prison after telling detectives “I lost my cool” when prosecutors say he caused the shaken-baby death of his 4-month-old son.
Medicare says scammers are targeting Americans amid open enrollment period
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from Medicare, be weary. Officials say it could be a scam.
11 indicted in connection to meth trafficking operation in Indianapolis
Eleven people are being federally charged in connection to a meth trafficking operation in Indianapolis. This comes after a series of DEA led raids took place on Wednesday.
