Investigation Into Deadly Fire Was Focused on Arson and Homicide

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5221 43rd Ave
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)

*This post has been revised since it's original publication after a media released from KPD

KENOSHA, Wis. — New documents filed in court Tuesday reveal that the deadly apartment fire that killed three young siblings at 5221 43rd Avenue was initially being handled as a potential arson resulting in homicide, as investigators continue analyzing evidence and statements in a case that has shaken the city to its core. According to a Kenosha Police spokesman, however, the department is leaning away from arson or homicide as the cause of death.

In response to public release of the newly filed search warrant, Kenosha Police Lt. Josh Hecker issued a clarification Wednesday afternoon, stressing that the document lists homicide and arson because Wisconsin law requires investigators to cite potential criminal charges when applying for a warrant. Hecker emphasized that detectives “approach every case through a criminal investigative lens,” and that the phone seized from the home — which the warrant authorized for possible evidence of homicide and arson — did not reveal any criminal activity related to the fire. He added that investigators are still examining whether the tragedy was accidental and that detectives “will continue to methodically rule out all possible causes” alongside Kenosha Fire Department investigators.

5221 43rd Ave
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)

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73 Responses

  1. Oh no. What many feared is true, there’s more behind the “accidental fire kills 3 children” tragedy. I hope the children’s souls can find peace and the perpetrator(s) find none, for the rest of time.

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      1. Yeah I read the article BEFORE IT WAS UPDATED as is noted at the top. So chill, buddy. You know how to edit a post here? ‘Cause I don’t see how to do that. When first posted this afternoon, arson and homicide were in fact suspected.

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  2. i knew this was coming. To many inconsistency’s in this story for this to have been a tragic accident. i fully believe this fire was set intentionally.

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          1. The mother is a shitty person, too. She has every bit the hand in this happening. These parents had two shitty ass parents.

            ^not the sister

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        1. lol definitely NOT the sister, just someone who knows the true character of the “mother”. Not saying dad isn’t culpable but mom is definitely not innocent.

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      1. THE ARTICLE FIRST SUGGESTED IT REALLY WAS ARSON AND HOMICIDE. That’s why the early posters responded the way they did. Why do crabby, sweetheart?

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  3. The commenters on this site who trashed the people expressing skepticism need to be ashamed. The skeptical people were certainly NOT Evil Twisted Monsters as depicted by these people who lack any critical thinking skills.

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    1. Then do yourself a favor and utilize your apparently lacking critical thinking skills to read the following key sentence in the story: “According to a Kenosha Police spokesman, however, the department is leaning away from arson or homicide as the cause of death.” Now please explain to us how gossip and hearsay somehow benefited this investigation.

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    1. He should still be found negligent and that he caused their deaths. He had young children, so he was responsible for ensuring there were working smoke detectors and working fire extinguishers. If the fire was so “small tiny almost,” why run for help? We all know as adults how to put out a fire. There are so many questions and no reasonable answers.

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  4. Wow. Really nice language to use in a video when you are trying to defend someone. I had horrible feeling about this situation. I feel terrible for these children. But as a father, I would have burned to death getting my children out of a house that was on fire. So, if it was a small fire when he first seen it. Why didn’t he get them out then? And how long was he gone for that the fire pushed him back out the door? I think we all know what is coming next.
    God bless these poor children.

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    1. I mean….relatively cashing in. $100k doesn’t get you anywhere these days….and certainly not at the expense of losing your children and having your reputation trashed into the gutter.

      Most people now know she was a shitty mother and was partially to blame here and she won’t ever shake that reputation. Sad part is I bet this piece of trash will have more kids with some other loser and the cycle will repeat.

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        1. But she claims she is donating all non used money to the funeral home so they can use it in similar situations. Yeah sure.

  5. There may (or may not) be a bit too much read into this at this point but that’s understandable because of the convoluted law about fire investigations. While firefighters are at the scene putting out a fire and cleaning up they don’t a warrant and this usually includes the basic on the scene investigation to determine the cause of the fire. If firefighters return then, in the absence of specific consent, they need a warrant. If it’s to continue the routine fire inspection it’s a simple special inspection warrant but if there’s a criminal investigation then they are taught to go for a search warrant. Why??? If the investigation turns up evidence of a crime then they did the right thing. If not, it was better to have a search warrant and not need one than to need one and not have it. So it may be too soon to tell right now. Or not.

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    1. Just like all fires, the fire investigator will find it to be an electrical fire. They say that when they cannot find answers.

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  6. Terren Carlton was fired for having sexual relationships with a prisoner and later having his baby when she was a prison guard. I wouldn’t donate anything to that go fund me ijs. All of em are weirdos. I’d donate directly to the funeral home bc none of them are trust worthy. Prayers to the kids

  7. If mom knew the smoke detectors were not working why didn’t she report that? Why did she allow her kids to go there

    1. Hard to entertain your boyfriends with 3 kids hanging around, of course she’s going to dump them with dad, working smoke alarms or not. Anyone ask her if the ones in her domicile are functioning?

  8. Yeah it might not be arson or homicide…..but I’m curious if he was indeed across the street when it happened. I’ve heard that, I’ve heard he was at a bar, etc.

    Even if he was gone, it’s not like the kids were like 2 years old. I’m wondering if it was even illegal to leave them at their ages (shitty parenting for sure but not sure if illegal).

  9. Solis wants to be known as a hard ass prosecutor? Prove it then. If these smoke alarms were removed and both parents knew about it then prosecute them and fucking make an example out of each parent.

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  10. So the so called “father” is a grown man without mental or physical disabilities , right?
    Then who the F was he allegedly running to for help?
    Grown men are the helpers.
    Agree with other commenters, knew this story did not add up from the beginning.
    Drunk, high, or he left those kids home alone.

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  11. It’s very sad about these children Kenosha needs to cool down. was the fire extinguisher removed are was the batteries removed are dead. What about the lawyers that placed these kid the way they were . God help us all we lost 3 young children.

  12. Kannin told investigators he went downstairs alone to check, where he reported seeing what he described as “a little fire on the kitchen floor,” calling it “a tiny little thing.” According to the document, he said he panicked, walked out the front door, and began banging on neighbors’ doors screaming for help — without bringing the children outside first.

    WTF?

  13. Cant there be comments made about this horrific ordeal without the use of vulgar language being written? It shows nothing more than you’re no better than the people you are writing about. You can convey your anger without the use of vulgar words.

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    1. Because she is grieving more and more!

      She probably has to buy her boyfriend more drugs….I mean, like that dude has a job.

      1. Maybe the parents could pay off their legal debts (visible on CCAP), dude had an eviction hearing months prior to the fire, she moves to another state, definitely leaves us wondering. One day she claimed (find the feed yourself) that any extra money would go to help other families that occurred similar tragedies… Those poor sweet souls.

  14. Someone said that the smoke detectors were disabled so smoking could be done in the house.
    I don’t know if that true or not but only a SICK MF’er …….. does that …..
    IF that’s the case …. it’s homicide …..

  15. This entire situation and every “adult” in these children’s lives, is a sick twisted pathetic onion that just keeps peeling..

  16. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat eis. Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace. Amen

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  17. How do you see a “tiny fire” in your kitchen and not put it out? Instead you leave to pound on your neighbors door long enough for the tiny fire to turn into a conflagration? It doesn’t add up. Was he drunk?

  18. why would you take out batteries out of a smoke detector a Cigarette won’t set off My husband use to smoke in the house and never set it off. Just not right Pray for the children

  19. Suggest this case to Crime Junkies Podcast, they’re phenomenal investigative reporters and feel an episode on this would clear a lot of questions up for Kenosha’s residents who don’t believe the BS we are fed.

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MILWAUKEE, Wis. — More than a century of Milwaukee ghost stories — including alleged hauntings at some of the city’s best-known landmarks and a bizarre 1897 mystery that once had residents staring into the night sky — will be featured in a new book debuting later this month at the Milwaukee Paranormal Conference. Milwaukee historian and paranormal researcher Allison Jornlin will unveil In

Liberal Judge Gives Woman Probation After Felony Charge Accused Her Of Kicking Kenosha Police Officer; 10 Days For Second OWI

KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha woman who was originally charged with a felony for allegedly kicking a police officer twice during a drunken confrontation received probation last month after prosecutors agreed to dismiss the felony charge, while a liberal Kenosha County judge sentenced her to just 10 days of confinement in a separate second-offense OWI case. Tabitha A. Armes, 30, of Kenosha, appeared

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Only $1,000 Cash Bail For Kenosha Man Accused Of Intentionally Ramming Occupied Car After Dispute Over Kwik Trip Air Pump

Fernando D. Garcia, 19, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) SOMERS, Wis. — A 19-year-old Kenosha man accused of intentionally ramming an occupied vehicle with his Jeep following a dispute over who would use a Kwik Trip air pump was given only $1,000 cash bail Monday. Fernando D. Garcia, 19, of Kenosha, appeared before Court Commissioner Daniel “Catch & Release” Kellum, who set the

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Kenosha Man With .265 BAC Pleads Guilty To Fifth OWI After Being Given Only $5,000 Cash Bail; Faces Up To 10 Years In Prison

Danel A. Franks, 47, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 47-year-old Kenosha man who was found passed out behind the wheel after driving into a ditch with a preliminary breath test nearly three-and-a-half times the legal limit pleaded guilty Monday to his fifth-offense OWI. Danel A. Franks, 47, had been free on only $5,000 cash bail since November 2024. Kenosha

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‘Catch & Release’ Kellum Slashes $25,000 Warrant To $1,000 Cash Bail For Repeat Felon Accused Of Fleeing Police, Causing Injury To Kenosha Police Officer

Marlon W. Sidney Jr., 22, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 22-year-old Kenosha man accused of fleeing police at nearly twice the speed limit through a residential neighborhood in an incident that ultimately left a Kenosha police officer injured received just $1,000 cash bail Monday from Court Commissioner Daniel “Catch & Release” Kellum — nearly five months after another court

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Liberal Judge Gives Mom Only 10 Days Work Release For Driving Impaired With Two Young Children In SUV; Felony Drug Charge Dismissed

Margaret J. Merkel, 33, of Trevor(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Jason Rossell (D) gave a Trevor mother only 10 days of work release after she pleaded guilty to driving impaired with her 10-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter in her SUV. Margaret J. Merkel, 33, was convicted September 16 of second-offense OWI with a child under 16

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