News

Actions

Sheriff IDs woman found dead following ‘suspicious’ house fire

Posted at 6:42 AM, Dec 01, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-01 06:44:53-05

DECATUR, Mich. — The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office has identified the woman found dead Thursday following a house fire .

Sgt. Tedd Rigg said that when police arrived to the house fire in the 200 block of West St. Marys Street, they tried to enter it but couldn’t. The smoke was too heavy and too dark.

“[We] made every effort to try and see if there was anyone inside the residence,” said Sgt. Rigg with the Decatur Police Department. “The black smoke really stopped me from getting into the residence.”

Once inside the residence, police said they made an immediate phone call to the Van Buren County Sheriffs Office after finding a woman’s body. The sheriff’s office has since identified the woman as 31-year-old Jessica True Wallace.

“Based on the origin on how the fire started and the positioning of the body leads us to believe it was an arson to a homicide,” said Van Buren County Sheriff Dan Abbott.

Detectives are not releasing many details at this time about the victim. It’s not been determined if the victim died during the fire or before it broke out. However they are actively looking for the suspects, they said. They’re hoping the public will provide them with information to help find them.

“Anybody with any tips regarding this, that may have seen something this morning, please call our office immediately  so that we can run with that information,” said Sheriff Abbott.

Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office (269) 657-3101