PA - James Bennett, 23, & five children, 3-8, Turtle Creek, 3 March 1990

EXIA15145

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March 3, 1990: Joshua Harris was celebrating his 8th birthday. He and four other children, his sister Carley 6, brother Jesse 4, and Terrance 7 and Amanda Lee Cleary 4, were killed in a blaze that made the news all across the United States. A man identified as James Bennett was also killed, while Ray Steele survived and spent quite a bit of time hospitalized and treated for the burns he received in the fire before neighbors got him out of the house. Try as they might, the neighbors kept looking for ways into the house to save the kids but the smoke and fire forced them to turn back time after time.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...PERISH-IN-QUICK-MOVING-HOUSE-FIRE.html/pg=all

The second link doesn't work so if you put: "Fire Kills Five Children, One Adult After Birthday Celebration " the link to http://www.apnewsarchive.com/....Five Children, One Adult should show up in the search engine results.

The other links found are too difficult to add here. They won't work either. Seems to need to be looked up manually
 
Just about any other links I found were in google's newspaper archives, and showed a copy of the newspage. No way would the thing let me link it to here. Darn. But if you put in any of the info on the children, or "Five Children, adult die in fire" (maybe add Turtle Creek, Pa.) "Blaze Kills Young Birthday Boy, Friends".
It seems to be a worthwhile investment to subscribe to newspaperarchives if you're an active member of WS. A lot of things can be found, but only thru the archives sites.
Oh, if you do a search on Paul Wright, he was tried and acquitted of setting the fire, you might find some things.
The moms names might be helpful too. They are Dusty Harris and Diane Cleary. They claimed they ran into Wright on the street and he confessed to them.
I just saw some stuff online I had not been aware of before this.
Additional information will be forthcoming.
 
I actually lived in the house across the street from these houses when they caught fire. I was 8 or 9 at the time, and had been invited to the birthday party but couldn't go. My dad helped pull Ray Steele from the house, and my mother is interviewed in the article you linked to. Is there any reason why, 20 years later, you're posting about this? Just wondering. I had heard something about it possibly being investigated again?

This thread was very informative. I hadn't really heard anything about the fire or if they found a cause or anything like that since it happened. Thanks!
 
I actually lived in the house across the street from these houses when they caught fire. I was 8 or 9 at the time, and had been invited to the birthday party but couldn't go. My dad helped pull Ray Steele from the house, and my mother is interviewed in the article you linked to. Is there any reason why, 20 years later, you're posting about this? Just wondering. I had heard something about it possibly being investigated again?

This thread was very informative. I hadn't really heard anything about the fire or if they found a cause or anything like that since it happened. Thanks!

:welcome: :welcome5:


This thread was begun because there was never any justice for the fire victims. It seems for all intents and purposes, the 'killer' or 'killers' got away with killing five innocent children. The purpose of this is to go over whatever information we can assemble, perhaps interview people that were there or have information they are willing to share, and just maybe find out who actually is responsible for the deaths of five innocent children, as well as the young man. If you have personal knowledge of this, you could explain your relationship to the administration and you might be given a special designation if you wish to add to our available knowledge. Thank you.
 

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