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Wheaton, MO —
Authorities and relatives have identified the five people killed Thanksgiving Day in a fire at a southwest Missouri apartment building, including a boy whose father lives in Independence.
Officials in Wheaton, about 70 miles southwest of Springfield, say the fire at the Blue Ridge Apartments was reported about 3:20 a.m. Thursday. The cause remained undetermined Friday, but others in the building reported hearing explosions.
The Barry County coroner identified the victims as 54-year-old Molly Doherty and 32-year-old Jonathan “Jay” Gemmecke, who were in one apartment; and 43-year-old Mary Henning and her 8-year-old son, Brandon Thurston, in a nearby unit. Relatives of Henning and the fifth victim identified that person as Corey Hasche, who was in his 20s.
All eight units in the building were destroyed. The fire chief in Wheaton, which has about 700 residents, told the AP that the fire call came in about 3:20 a.m. on Thanksgiving day. The blaze was fully involved when firefighters arrived from a station just a few blocks away. It took crews from several agencies a couple hours to control the fire.
KMBC television reported that Brandon’s father lives in Independence and that his grandmother, Mary Thurston, had not yet been told how the fire started. Relatives described Brandon as having nonstop energy and a love of anything related to cars.
Other media reports said Mary Henning and Corey Hasche were engaged to be married.
Authorities and relatives have identified the five people killed Thanksgiving Day in a fire at a southwest Missouri apartment building, including a boy whose father lives in Independence.
Officials in Wheaton, about 70 miles southwest of Springfield, say the fire at the Blue Ridge Apartments was reported about 3:20 a.m. Thursday. The cause remained undetermined Friday, but others in the building reported hearing explosions.
The Barry County coroner identified the victims as 54-year-old Molly Doherty and 32-year-old Jonathan “Jay” Gemmecke, who were in one apartment; and 43-year-old Mary Henning and her 8-year-old son, Brandon Thurston, in a nearby unit. Relatives of Henning and the fifth victim identified that person as Corey Hasche, who was in his 20s.
All eight units in the building were destroyed. The fire chief in Wheaton, which has about 700 residents, told the AP that the fire call came in about 3:20 a.m. on Thanksgiving day. The blaze was fully involved when firefighters arrived from a station just a few blocks away. It took crews from several agencies a couple hours to control the fire.
KMBC television reported that Brandon’s father lives in Independence and that his grandmother, Mary Thurston, had not yet been told how the fire started. Relatives described Brandon as having nonstop energy and a love of anything related to cars.
Other media reports said Mary Henning and Corey Hasche were engaged to be married.
