At approximately 7:29 pm last night (12/7), a structure fire was reported in the 1700 block of county road 333 near the Greene / Craighead County line. Firefighters from Western Greene County and Philadelphia Fire Departments responded.
While the fire was being extinguished, deputies received information that an individual was likely to have been in the residence when the fire began. Once firefighters were able to get the fire out and the scene cooled down enough to investigate further, a body was located inside the residence. Investigators with my agency responded to the scene, as did a deputy coroner with the Greene County Coroner’s Office.
The decedent’s body will be sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy and to determine positive identification. Due to a death occurring from this fire, we have requested the assistance of the Paragould Fire Department’s Fire Marshal to assist with this investigation. The Fire Marshal and my investigators were back on scene this morning, after deputies kept the scene secure all night, and are continuing the investigation. Further information will be released when it is appropriate to do so.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of this individual during this difficult time.
– Sheriff Brad Snyder