Two killed in Midlands house fire identified by coroner
Two people were killed in a fire at a Midlands home, the Kershaw County Coroner said.
Avery Smullen and Jeanette Richardson died as a result of the Friday night fire, Coroner David West said in a news release.
At about 8 p.m., members of the Camden Fire Department responded to a 911 call about the blaze at 505 Lyttleton St., according to the release. That’s near Broad Street/U.S. 521, and about 2 miles from Exit 98 on Interstate 20.
When they arrived, firefighters were told one person had escaped the the fully involved fire, but soon learned two people were still inside the burning home, West said.
During a search, firefighters found the 65-year-old Smullen, and the homeowner was taken to an area hospital where he died in the emergency room, according to the release.
The body of 48-year-old Richardson, who lived there, was found in a bed, West said.
No other injuries were reported.
Information on what caused the fire was not made available and is being investigated by the Camden Police Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, as well as the coroner’s office and fire department.
Autopsies are scheduled for Monday in Newberry, West said.
In an unrelated incident, the bodies of Steven and Nancy Hales were found on Jan. 10 at a burning home in the 1600 block of Lyttleton Street, about a mile away from Friday’s fire. In that incident, Thomas Dwayne Knotts was charged with two counts of murder, as police said foul play and not the fire was the cause of death.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
