Woman Found In Furley Ave Fire Was Murdered
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- What was believed to be a fatal fire has now turned into a murder investigation. This, after Baltimore City Police find a woman dead at the scene of a house fire in Northeast Baltimore.
Rick Ritter has more on the shocking discovery.
The Medical Examiner's Office has now ruled the incident a homicide and believes the victim died of physical trauma.
The fire broke out early Tuesday morning. Flames erupted in the rear section of the house along the 4440-block of Furley Avenue.
"It was around 4:30 in the morning, and I had red lights going around in my bedroom," said Dorothy Rider, neighbor.
The entire street rattled.
"I said 'what the hell.' I heard like an explosion and it like immediately went up in flames," said Terry Henderson, who knew the victim.
After containing the fire, firefighters make a shocking discovery inside.
"During primary search of the building, the units did discover a female body in front part of the building," said Roman Clark, fire department spokesman.
That discovery is now being ruled a homicide.
"Our investigators at this point and time have determined it to be a homicide by blunt force trauma," said Sarah Connolly, Baltimore City Police.
Some neighbors say they hadn't seen the victim for days.
"After five days I hadn't heard from her. I used to see her every day, haven't heard from her after five days," Henderson said.
Others are left feeling uneasy.
"Is it somebody she knew or did somebody just break in and kill her and then set it off to cover the evidence?" Rider said.
The killer or killers remain on the loose.
"I'm shocked about that, that somebody would do something wrong to that woman," Henderson said.
Officials say no one else was inside the home. The city's homicide unit is investigating.
Police are withholding the victim's identity until her family has been notified.
Anyone with information should call police at 410-396-2100.
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