Body found in house fire investigated as suspicious death, police say
Kansas City police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found inside a burning house early Sunday on the city’s Northeast side.
Firefighters were called to the 1600 block of Elmwood Avenue around 8 a.m. Responding crews saw smoke coming out of a single-story residence and found a woman inside, according to Capt. Jacob Becchina, spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department.
The woman was declared dead due to injuries not related to the fire, which was brought under control a few minutes later, Becchina said in an email news release.
Detectives will work with the medical examiner to determine the cause of death. Bomb and arson detectives are working with fire investigators to determine the cause of the fire.
“We want to work to gather all evidence and conduct a thorough investigation while the scene is available to us in the event the medical examiner makes a ruling of homicide,” Becchina said. “At this time this investigation is being classified as a suspicious death.”
Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.
