Man called homicide victim of fire that started in dead woman’s room, coroner says
One of the two people who died in a house fire over the weekend was a homicide victim, according to the Kershaw County Coroner’s Office.
Avery Smullen’s death was ruled a homicide, Coroner David West said in a news release. No ruling has been made in the death of Jeanette Richardson.
The fire started in Richardson’s bedroom, according to the news release.
Autopsies were performed Monday in Newberry, West said.
At 8 p.m. Saturday, 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.
A third resident was outside the home, and bystanders were holding her back from going back into the burning building, West said.
Firefighters found Smullen, who owned the home, and he was taken to an area hospital where he was dead on arrival, according to the release.
Richardson’s body was found in a bed, West said.
Arson investigators from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division assisted members of the Camden Police Department, and they determined the fire started in Richardson’s bedroom, according to the release.
Smullen, 65, and Richardson, 48, both died from smoke and soot inhalation. Richardson also suffered burns, West said.
Information on what caused the fire was not available, and police and the coroner’s office are waiting for lab results from SLED’s examination.
In a separate and 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 killed the Hales.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 1:08 PM.
