05-25-2010, 05:48 AM
Tragic, there are always options. btw the tribune identified the owner as Henry Clay Lewis III not sure if thats the deceased.
Fire cloaks suicide
Body found in house had been shot in head
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An accelerant was used to start a fire Monday that destroyed house on Julian Street, where firefighters recovered the burned body of a man who had shot himself in the head.
Lake County Coroner Dr. Richard Keller said the body appeared to be that of a man is his 50s, and an autopsy revealed that he had shot himself. He was not identified late Monday.
The fire at 420 Julian St. was reported at 6:15 a.m. and spread quickly, according to city Fire Marshal Steve Lenzi.
When firefighters arrived, they heard sounds that were believed to be gunshots, and it was later determined that heat from the fire caused ammunition in the home to explode. Police recovered "a lot of weapons and ammunition" from the remains of the house after the blaze was extinguished, Lenzi said.
Lenzi said the Fire Department requested help from state arson investigators and that investigators found evidence of an accelerant at the scene.
More than 10 Lake County fire departments responded to the two-alarm fire, Lenzi said. There were no reported injuries among firefighters.
Officials said they were unsure Monday afternoon whether the body was that of the homeowner.
Lake County assessment records list the owner as Henry C. Wheeler III.
Fire damages were estimated at $300,000.
"It's a total loss from everything we could gather," he said.
Neighbor Jim Wheeler, who owns the house at 426 Julian, said the homeowner spent a lot of time at work, and that vehicles were his passion.
"He was a good neighbor. We used to have nice talks," Wheeler said. "He had an old Porsche and an old Jag. If he wasn't working, he was doing something with his motor vehicles."
Wheeler said the owner recently spent time in a nursing home due to a foot infection, and that he had mobility issues. He seemed less talkative when he returned home, Wheeler said.
Fire cloaks suicide
Body found in house had been shot in head
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/2312102,5_1_WA25_FIRE_S1-100525.article">http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/news ... 25.article</a><!-- m -->
An accelerant was used to start a fire Monday that destroyed house on Julian Street, where firefighters recovered the burned body of a man who had shot himself in the head.
Lake County Coroner Dr. Richard Keller said the body appeared to be that of a man is his 50s, and an autopsy revealed that he had shot himself. He was not identified late Monday.
The fire at 420 Julian St. was reported at 6:15 a.m. and spread quickly, according to city Fire Marshal Steve Lenzi.
When firefighters arrived, they heard sounds that were believed to be gunshots, and it was later determined that heat from the fire caused ammunition in the home to explode. Police recovered "a lot of weapons and ammunition" from the remains of the house after the blaze was extinguished, Lenzi said.
Lenzi said the Fire Department requested help from state arson investigators and that investigators found evidence of an accelerant at the scene.
More than 10 Lake County fire departments responded to the two-alarm fire, Lenzi said. There were no reported injuries among firefighters.
Officials said they were unsure Monday afternoon whether the body was that of the homeowner.
Lake County assessment records list the owner as Henry C. Wheeler III.
Fire damages were estimated at $300,000.
"It's a total loss from everything we could gather," he said.
Neighbor Jim Wheeler, who owns the house at 426 Julian, said the homeowner spent a lot of time at work, and that vehicles were his passion.
"He was a good neighbor. We used to have nice talks," Wheeler said. "He had an old Porsche and an old Jag. If he wasn't working, he was doing something with his motor vehicles."
Wheeler said the owner recently spent time in a nursing home due to a foot infection, and that he had mobility issues. He seemed less talkative when he returned home, Wheeler said.