MD - Tech tycoon's Annapolis mansion destroyed by fire and 6 missing

Lamima · Jan 19, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...terfront-mansion-destroyed-enormous-fire.html

"Technology tycoon and his family unaccounted for as his $9million mansion on Annapolis waterfront is destroyed by enormous fire

Picturesque property near Chesapeake Bay engulfed by flames in the early hours of Monday morning
Belonged to Don Pyle, who is a former CEO of several large tech companies
Unconfirmed reports that Pyle, wife Sandra and four grandchildren were home - they have yet to be accounted for
Eighty-five firefighters sent to battle the 3:30am fire that ruined home
16,000sq ft address has two swimming pools and private courtyard
Huge home, built in 2005, is estimated to be worth $9million"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...on-destroyed-enormous-fire.html#ixzz3PKEgwHSy
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katydid23 · Jan 19, 2015

so sad that the 4 grandchildren were lost. Sorry for all of them, but the grandchildren break my heart. :rose: :rose::rose: :rose::rose: :rose:

nycgrl · Jan 19, 2015

Appears to be arson. Doesn't look good for the family.

lucky181 · Jan 19, 2015

The fire was reported about 3:30 a.m. by an alarm monitoring company and a neighbor who saw flames at the mansion in Annapolis

"We saw a reflection on our bedroom ceiling and it was too early for sunrise," said neighborManfred Leckszas.
"There were two bangs--two thuds--and flames shot way up high in the sky, above the treeline and I thought, 'Oh my God,'" said neighbor Azalea Leckszas.

http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/6-Missing-As-Mansion-Goes-Up-In-Flames-289089581.html?ref=581

The owners of an Annapolis-area mansion destroyed in a raging fire early Monday morning apparently perished along with their four grandchildren, according to a letter from the headmaster of the school where the children attended.In the letter obtained by The Capital, Severn School Headmaster Douglas Lagarde said Don and Sandy Pyle, owners of the 16,000-square-foot estate at 936 Childs Point Road, and their four grandchildren died in the four-alarm blaze.The letter does not state the source of the information, but Lagarde said the Lower Schools Chesapeake Campus will be closed Tuesday to give students and families time to grieve. An open house at the Lower School scheduled for Wednesday also was canceled, according to the schools website.

http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/...outside-of-annapolis-20150119,0,1919234.story

LietKynes · Jan 19, 2015

Thanks for starting this thread, Lamima. Read about it earlier on DM and was wondering why (if it started last night) they haven't found anyone (or bodies

) yet ?

Several possibilities : 1 - accident, from faulty wiring or space heater
2 - Murder-suicide pact (but who the heck does this with their grandkids there ?)
3 - it was stated there are two adult sons and neither was home ,<modsnip>

My hope was that everyone was out of town and this was a bad accident. Even if it was just that ; what a sad thing to lose all of your irreplaceable possessions !
:moo:

Lamima · Jan 19, 2015

LietKynes said:
Thanks for starting this thread, Lamima. Read about it earlier on DM and was wondering why (if it started last night) they haven't found anyone (or bodies ) yet ?

Several possibilities : 1 - accident, from faulty wiring or space heater
2 - Murder-suicide pact (but who the heck does this with their grandkids there ?)
3 - it was stated there are two adult sons and neither was home ,<modsnip>

My hope was that everyone was out of town and this was a bad accident. Even if it was just that ; what a sad thing to lose all of your irreplaceable possessions !
:moo:

4- Could be an insurance fraud situation??? Not my first thought though.

It's odd that their family is saying they were supposed to be going on vacation but nobody has been able to reach them by cellphone. You'd think a bigwig, like he was, would be always reachable. Plus, don't the parents of the kids know the exact details of said vacation, like when exactly they were going??? Who are the parents of the kids...one or both of the adult male sons living there?

Indy Anna · Jan 19, 2015

The 16,000-square-foot home on Childs Point Road was mostly reduced to rubble after the blaze raged out of control for some four hours after the call first came in at 3:30 a.m., the Capital Gazette reported.

Cheplak said there was no evidence at this point of foul play. He said the [investigative] team was expected to arrive Tuesday.

<snipped>

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...rns-ground-search-occupants-article-1.2084050

IMO, for the home to burn so out-of-control, it would have to be arson. A newer building such as this must have had a sprinkler system.

I'm thinking someone thought the family had already left on vacation. Maybe some burglars sneaked inside only to be surprised by the inhabitants.

The two bangs reported by neighbors in Post #4 .... could they have been gunshots?

I'm also thinking of the possibility of electrical equipment exploding. Would an electrical fire be harder to contain than other sources of fire?

anya · Jan 19, 2015

Not sure why exactly but this whole incident really creeps me out, especially because of the four grand kids reportedly being inside the house. If it is in fact arson, which it seriously sounds like (to me) considering the the speed and voracity of which the fire appears to have spread throughout despite the enormous size of the house, then the fact that not only adults but kids were inside is a special kind of sinister. It almost appears like a revenge type thing. That, and/or money.
JMO, IMHO.

Sent via Tapatalk from my cell - please excuse any typos.[emoji92][emoji94]

Mrs G Norris · Jan 20, 2015

It could possibly be a murder suicide, the size of the house, for it to go up in it's entirety it would have had to be doused throughout in petrol or similar. The house is nearly completely isolated, unless there were murders and then the house lit on fire to destroy evidence?

katydid23 · Jan 20, 2015

I dont think it was insurance fraud because why kill 4 innocent kids for that? It would have to be something much more vengeful.

I don't think murder suicide either. It would have to be one of the GParents---and why take your 4 grand babies with you? Usually parers take their kids because they don't want them to fend for themselves. I can't see any motive to burn ones grand babies to death. :cry:

Which is also why I don't think it was for the inheritance. Why would one of the grown children take out 4 innocent grandkids? They wouldn't need to do that to still receive the death benefits.

Blondie in Spokane · Jan 20, 2015

I heard earlier this morning on the news that there was no access to fire hydrants in the area.

Snoods · Jan 20, 2015

Don Pyle and his wife Sandra

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...terfront-mansion-destroyed-enormous-fire.html

katydid23 · Jan 20, 2015

So heartbreaking. Surrounded by water on three sides and they die in a fire. So awful.

lucky181 · Jan 20, 2015

per the video and article:
Specialty ATF people are flying in from around the country to investigate. They should be able to start on Wed. The local authorities asked for ATF's help.
Isolated area with no fire hydrants so they brought in water tankers and used water from the nearby body of water
Firefighters did try to go in the house: high heat, floor collapsing and failure of the roof structure prevented it.

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2015/01/4-alarm-fire-engulfs-home-in-annapolis-md--110678.html

I'm sure they want to get all the correct information (cause of fire, point of origin) so it's good that the ATF are going to help. I wonder if there is some suspicion of foul play even if it isn't mentioned.

Blondie in Spokane · Jan 20, 2015

Technology tycoon, wife and their four grandchildren confirmed dead in devastating fire at $9million Annapolis waterfront mansion

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...napolis-waterfront-mansion.html#ixzz3PMzdqQQs

TTF14 · Jan 20, 2015

Wow, how awful! Could it have been a gas explosion? It just seems so unlikely that all 6 would perish in a house that I would imagine had smoke detectors! You'd think at least a couple would have been able to get out unless it was an explosion, or they were all murdered before the fire was set.

keeponsearching · Jan 20, 2015

How tragic. I agree with others you would think the alarm would give some a chance to move out unless it was a explosion.

Blondie in Spokane · Jan 20, 2015

FYI....Daily Mail has now revised the above link to describe the fire as "suspicious"

"It came as criminal investigators pored over the ruins of the house for any signs the blaze could have been arson. Specialists with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives now say the fire is 'suspicious' - partly because of how quickly it ravaged the home."

jjenny · Jan 20, 2015

keeponsearching said:
How tragic. I agree with others you would think the alarm would give some a chance to move out unless it was a explosion.

And a mansion that expensive should have had multiple fire alarms, etc.

prallypie · Jan 20, 2015

The Daily Mail article does state that two adult sons live there too, but I'm guessing either weren't home or got out of the home in time as they aren't among the missing. Ugh.

MD - Tech tycoon's Annapolis mansion destroyed by fire and 6 missing

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