4 BODIES FOUND IN REMAINS OF ANNAPOLIS MANSION FIRE. 2
ARE STILL MISSING. FIRE REDUCES MANSION TO RUBBLE MONDAY; FAMILY IDENTIFIES
STILL-MISSING CHILDREN
January 22, 2015
ANNAPOLIS, Md. —Crews
have found the bodies of four individuals from the Annapolis mansion fire, Anne
Arundel County fire officials said.
Investigators started
excavating the ruins Wednesday of an Annapolis-area
mansion that burned to the ground in search of a man, a woman and
their four grandchildren who have been missing since the blaze, and who
relatives said were likely inside when the building caught fire.
Anne Arundel County Fire
Capt. Russ Davies said crews were able to secure the structure Wednesday to
make it safe for investigators to enter. Search teams with cadaver K-9s located
the bodies of two individuals on Wednesday, and two more bodies were found
Thursday, but fire officials could not say whether the bodies were those of the
adults or the children. Two others remain unaccounted for.
Davies said the Office of
the Chief Medical Examiner took the bodies to Baltimore for an autopsy and
identification.
The mansion is owned by
Sandra and Don Pyle, who is an executive with a technology company.
Neither have been seen since the fire.
The missing children were
identified Thursday by a family representative as Alexis Boone, 8; Kaitlyn
Boone, 7; Charlotte Boone, 8; and Wesley Boone, 6. The Boone children are the
grandchildren of Sandra Pyle and the step-grandchildren of Don Pyle, the family
representative said.
Fire officials and
federal investigators were at the scene of the blaze on Tuesday extinguishing
residual hot spots from the fire, which reduced the 16,000-square-foot mansion
to rubble early Monday. Officials said Tuesday that once inside, crews would
begin stabilizing the wreckage and pumping out the basement, which was flooded
by water firefighters sprayed on the building.
An expert said that due
to the intensity of the fire, it will likely take weeks to positively identify
suspected remains found in the debris. The search for the missing people
will take time, too.
"They're going
through a meticulous process. There are a lot of heavy materials from the
house. As has been described previously, this isn't built like a typical residential
house. This is built more like a commercial structure," Davies said.
"So, it's a time-consuming process that they're going through right
now."
Aerial video of the fire
scene shows a big operation as delicate as it large. Guided by a
specially-trained dog, the priority is to find remains of victims. The focus is
the basement of the house, to which three floors collapsed. Debris must be
sifted in small amounts at a time.
Still recognizable are
two cars that had been left in the garage. Also in the basement, what appears
to be a rack of electronic components. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives focused there Wednesday, removing the cover of
one piece of equipment. The house was described by neighbors as a smart house. Investigators
will have to hope something can be retrieved from a hard drive or surveillance
equipment that can help answer how the fire started and why it spread so fast.
As is protocol,
investigators are treating the house as a crime scene until they know more
details about how the fire started. Crews remained at the scene overnight for
security purposes.
Boone, Pyle families
release statement
The Boone and Pyle
families have asked for privacy as a memorial grows outside the former home.
"On behalf of the
Boone and Pyle families, we wish to express our gratitude and appreciation for
the love and support being shared with us during this tragic event. We
are blessed that so many family, friends and neighbors have come together for
us in our time of need," a statement from the family representative said.
While investigators have
not yet identified any of the family members as being deceased, the family's
statements eludes to the fact that they believe that might be the case.
"Our love for our
family is boundless. Our loss demands time and quiet reflection to process
these feelings. We ask that you respect our need for privacy," the
statement read. "Life is fragile. Make time today to embrace your
loved ones."
The statement also
thanked the investigators involved in the search for the missing family,
saying, "We want our community to know how proud we are of all who have
helped us."
