Examiner: No trauma to 3 who died in fire before rape trial
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Autopsies revealed no unusual trauma on a couple and their 10-year-old granddaughter who died in a house fire hours before a man suspected of raping the girl was to go on trial, a forensic pathologist said Tuesday.
All three died quickly of smoke inhalation, and there was no sign of trauma other than burns and soot from the Monday blaze in Youngstown, said Dr. Joseph Ohr of the Mahoning County coroner's office.
Ohr said he won't rule on their manner of death, such as whether the deaths were accidental, until he receives reports from arson investigators and homicide detectives.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation. Neighbors said they heard what sounded like an explosion around the time the blaze broke out, local media reported.
CBS affiliate WKBN reports specialized dogs the Yougstown Fire Department used to sniff out accelerants found none at the scene.
The fire didn't appear to be linked to the trial and there were no signs of anything criminal, but detectives will investigate, Capt. Brad Blackburn, chief of detectives for the police, told The Vindicator.
Chief Fire Investigator Alvin Ware said two of the victims were deaf.
Ohr tentatively identified the victims as 63-year-old William Schmidt, 61-year-old Judith Schmidt and a granddaughter who lived with them. He said he was awaiting dental records for final confirmation of the woman's identity.
The fire at the Youngstown home broke out early Monday, hours before the trial for 46-year-old Robert Seman Jr., a man accused of raping the girl, was scheduled to begin. The trial was delayed and Seman's bond has been revoked as authorities investigate evidence that he tried to bribe a potential witness in the case, Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains said.