- Police suspect the father caused a West Jordan house fire killing himself and three others.
- The father sold belongings and acted suspiciously before the fatal incident, police say.
- A gas can and gasoline odor were found.
WEST JORDAN — A father who died along with another adult and two children in a house fire in West Jordan on Friday was responsible for causing the fire, police announced Tuesday.
"Yes, we do believe it is a murder-suicide," West Jordan Police Sgt. Andrew Hercules said.
About 10:15 a.m. Friday, emergency crews responded to a fire at 6340 W. 8270 South. A man, woman and boy were found dead inside the house. A girl found outside the residence was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and later died from her injuries.
"We have preliminary findings that lead us to believe we know who each of these individuals are; however, we have not, nor will we be releasing any names until we have received confirmation from the Office of the Medical Examiner," Hercules said, while adding that investigators believe the victims are four members of the same family.
Also on Tuesday, West Jordan police announced that the evidence collected points to the father of the house being responsible for starting the fire that caused the deaths.
Prior to the fire, the father called his employer to say he would be late for work, Hercules said.
"We also found he sold belongings starting a few days prior, leading up to this incident. Our investigators reviewed neighbors' security cameras and observed the father pacing outside the residence a few minutes before an explosion was heard. We believe that the explosion was caused by a buildup of fumes from an accelerant," he said.
Before the young girl died, she made statements to investigators that pointed "in the direction of believing the father was the person who caused the fire. The evidence collected corroborates those statements made by the juvenile," Hercules said, though he did not go into detail about what statements were made.
Other evidence collected included a gas can near the father's body and "a strong odor of gasoline throughout the residence even after the fire was extinguished," he said.
Hercules said police had been called to the residence at least one time prior for a domestic violence issue.
"This is a tragic incident. It's hard having an incident like this so close to home, really anywhere, but so close to home," he said.
Hercules also took time on Tuesday to thank the community for their support through this difficult time, and to the community members who went inside the burning house and their "heroic efforts" to try and save the young girl. He said because of their efforts, police were able to get statements from the girl before she died that helped with the investigation.
This story may be updated.
