KC fire fatality investigated as homicide after gunshot wound found during autopsy

An investigation into a Kansas City vacant church fire has become a homicide investigation after a dead man found in the structure was found to have a gunshot wound, police said in a news release Monday.

The final cause of death for the victim, Dwayne Blair, 66, has not yet been determined, however.

On Feb. 1, firefighters were sent to the 2400 block of Chestnut Avenue at 2:17 a.m., according to Kansas City Fire Department spokesperson Michael Hopkins. The fire was controlled quickly and Blair’s body was found while officials searched the building, Hopkins said. Kansas City police’s bomb and arson detectives were also on the scene.

Later, the medical examiner discovered Blair had a gunshot wound, Kansas City police spokesperson Alayna Gonzalez said in the news release. As a result, Blair’s death has been ruled suspicious and is being investigated as a homicide, Gonzalez said.

Police are “making headway” in finding a suspect but no one is currently in police custody, Gonzalez said.

Police are also investigating the cause of the fire.

If confirmed to be a homicide, the death would bring Kansas City to 21 homicides so far this year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.

People with information are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly 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.

This story was originally published February 24, 2025 at 5:28 PM.