GA - Zoey McCue, 10, dies in fire intentionally set by brother, Loganville, 17 Apr 2022

[imstilla.grandma]

Gwinnett Police believe the fire was set intentionally by a sibling

Update by Gwinnett County Police

Loganville, Ga., April 17, 2022) – The Gwinnett County Police Department responded to residential fire in Loganville early Sunday morning along with Gwinnett County Fire. The residential fire within the 4400 block of Beaver Road SW, unincorporated Loganville was reported at 4:47 a.m. Once fire crews were able to successfully control the fire, the body of a 10-year-old female victim was found inside the burned home. Gwinnett Fire Department Arson Investigators determined the fire was set intentionally.

At this time, Gwinnett County detectives have determined the fire was set intentionally by a sibling of the deceased victim. This is still an active investigation and is being treated as a Homicide. Gwinnett Police detectives are working closely with arson investigators throughout the duration of this investigation.
Update:Death of child in Loganville fire believe to be homicide; fire ruled arson

Update by Fire and Emergency Service

(Loganville, Ga., April 17, 2022) – Firefighters responded at 4:57 a.m. to an occupant report of a house fire in the 4400 block of Beaver Road SW in unincorporated Loganville. The 911 caller advised there was a fire in front of the house, and she was trying to get the kids. Additional information advised two kids were outside with the caller and two kids were still inside the house. Due to the information provided, additional units were requested and started towards the scene.

On arrival, firefighters found a single-story residence on a slab with heavy fire involvement throughout the front of the structure. A walk-around of the structure was completed while hose lines were deployed through the tree line to the front of the home. While crews worked to get a knockdown, multiple crews arriving on scene began performing Vent-Enter-Search (VES) which focuses searches on tenable locations for victims primarily utilizing exterior window access. Multiple aggressive search attempts were executed to locate the missing children. After the fire was brought under control, a 10-year-old female victim was located deceased in room used as a bedroom without window access. Efforts continued for the next couple hours to sift through debris to locate the 15-year-old male that was believed to be inside. Around 9 a.m., the 15-year-old was located away from the scene and appeared to be okay. The home sustained extensive fire damage throughout the front half of the structure including the attic. Two cats were also found deceased inside the home.

A total of seven people lived at the home including two adults and five children. One adult and four children were at home when the fire broke out. According to a family member, smoke alarms are installed in the home, but they did not activate. Gwinnett County Police Chaplains and the American Red Cross are assisting the family with temporary needs for the two adults, four children and two dogs.

Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services
Update

Media outlets are reporting that the second child, a 15-year-old, initially reported as missing has since been located safe at another house. We are awaiting further details from authorities.

Initial story

LOGANVILLE, GA – (April 17, 2022) Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Rescue reports that firefighters responded at 4:57 a.m. to a reported house fire in the 4400 block of Beaver Road SW in Loganville.

GCFER public information officer Lt. Justin Wilson said that crews arrived on scene with heavy fire involvement in a one-story residence and reports of two missing children. At the time of the media alert, one victim has been located and was deceased. He said firefighters would continue to search for the second victim.
Update:Death of child in Loganville fire believe to be homicide; fire ruled arson

 

[imstilla.grandma]

When they arrived, they were told two children, ages 10 and 15, were missing. The 15-year-old boy was later found alive off-site.

The 10-year-old female was found deceased inside the burning home. Gwinnett Fire Department arson investigators determined the fire was set intentionally by a sibling of the deceased victim.

Right now, investigators say charges are pending but they have not said who will be charged. There were five people in the house when the fire started, one of them was an adult.

The Gwinnett County Police Department says the child’s death is currently being investigated as a homicide. They say the family is cooperating with the investigation.
10-year-old dies in house fire started by sibling in Loganville


One adult and four of the children were home when the fire broke out. The two dogs survived, but both cats died. The girl who died was found in a bedroom with no window access. She has not been identified.

Loganville resident Mike Kilgore told Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln that when he awoke to lights and sirens lining beaver road he knew it was something dire.

“When I first woke up, I thought car wreck,” he said. “It was basically ambulances, fire trucks, stretching a good quarter mile long”

He said he and other neighbors were shocked to learn a fire that gutted the home was started by a sibling of the victim.

“Yeah that’s, that … I don’t know what to say,” he said
Sibling intentionally set fire that killed 10-year-old girl in Gwinnett County, police say

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[borndem]

What in the world is this?
Did he want to kill anyone or everyone (if he set the fire)? Did the 15 y/o boy do this (if he did this) to kill his sister only? Or was she already dead when he set the fire (if he set the fire)?
Just odd and so very sad. We probably won't find out much about the 15 y/o boy WRT problems he may have had since he is a minor.
What a horribly sad thing for the parents and the other siblings.

 

[Filly]

What in the world is this?
Did he want to kill anyone or everyone (if he set the fire)? Did the 15 y/o boy do this (if he did this) to kill his sister only? Or was she already dead when he set the fire (if he set the fire)?
Just odd and so very sad. We probably won't find out much about the 15 y/o boy WRT problems he may have had since he is a minor.
What a horribly sad thing for the parents and the other siblings.

Terribly sad. Wondering as well did a sibling want the entire family gone?

No doubt the firefighters are devastated as well.

 

[realanastasia]

Terribly sad. Wondering as well did a sibling want the entire family gone?

No doubt the firefighters are devastated as well.

My immediate thought was that it reminded me of cases where someone sets a fire in the hopes of destroying evidence of another crime (i.e. a physical or sexual assault against an individual that took place prior to the arson). Not saying that is the case here, because this is strictly MOO, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was.

 

[realanastasia]

15-year-old boy charged with murder after setting fire that killed 10-year-old sister in Gwinnett

15 year old has been charged with murder.

“Police said Monday that the 15-year-old has now been charged with malice and felony murder and that he is the victim’s brother. He is also likely to be charged with arson in the 1st degree.

The teen’s identity has not been released due to his age. It’s unclear if his sister died in the fire or before the fire was set.

Neighbors said the family has been living there for at least 20 years and the children were homeschooled.”

 

[realanastasia]

15-year-old charged in Gwinnett County house fire that killed 10-year-old sister on Easter Sunday

“The ten-year-old girl was Zoe McCue. Firefighters found her deceased in the home.
….
William McCue was at work with his teenaged daughter at the time of the fire. A coworker broke the news to him.

"I went over to her, and she told me I had to go home, there was a fire," he said. "I tried to get a hold of my wife and she answered the phone and said, come home."

When he got home, he saw the devastation.

He recalls his 10-year-old daughter lovingly.

"She kind of like take the lead and be in charge. She's a handful of a ten year and wants to be the boss of everybody. That's little Zoe," he said.”

 

[realanastasia]

OMG!!! This has shades of the Turpin family situation!

Now I’m wondering if the 15-year old set the fire to try to force the authorities to address the horrific living conditions facing the children in this house…any way you slice it, though, it’s a tragedy for all concerned.

“Georgia Division of Family and Children Services is trying to place the three other kids who lived in the house in protective custody, accusing the parents of neglect and abuse. The agency said the kids have not been able to go outside the home for years.

In court documents, DFCS states it believes the other three children are in danger. The agency claims they haven’t been in school for years and hadn’t showered in months -- and the allegations don’t stop there.

“I haven’t seen her for a long time cause they locked themselves in the house because of coronavirus," the grandfather of the 10-year-old killed said. He said he lives less than two miles away from his son and his family in Loganville.

Documents add the children have not been in school in years and as the home has no sewage system, the children were using buckets to relieve themselves.”

Relieving themselves with buckets, children unable to shower for months | State files complaint against parents following deadly Gwinnett house fire

 

[borndem]

Terribly sad. Wondering as well did a sibling want the entire family gone?

No doubt the firefighters are devastated as well.

bbm
Yes, indeed, Filly -- Can you imagine doing what you can do to get to the house as soon as you can, to put out the fire and then to look for anyone inside, and finding that little 10 year-old's body? They'll never forget finding that little girl who could not get away soon enuff.

 

[beatrixpotter]

This is horrific and local to me. I am also finding this contradictory though. If the kids had not left the house in years then does this not include the teen daughter who is listed as being at work with the father and mentions a coworker? What kind of situation was there that the teen was working at the same place of employment? Did they own a business? Did they mean only the other children never left the house? How the heck were the father and teen also living in a house with no sewer, pooping in buckets, no bathing and going to work somewhere and no one noticed this?

 

[realanastasia]

This is horrific and local to me. I am also finding this contradictory though. If the kids had not left the house in years then does this not include the teen daughter who is listed as being at work with the father and mentions a coworker? What kind of situation was there that the teen was working at the same place of employment? Did they own a business? Did they mean only the other children never left the house? How the heck were the father and teen also living in a house with no sewer, pooping in buckets, no bathing and going to work somewhere and no one noticed this?

10-year-old girl killed in Loganville house fire identified

This article indicates the father and elder daughter work together at a nearby Waffle House.

 

[realanastasia]

Interview with the father and mother of the deceased child: Parents discuss outpouring of support since deadly Loganville arson

 

[Filly]

Interview with the father and mother of the deceased child: Parents discuss outpouring of support since deadly Loganville arson

@realanastasia special thanks for that.

Speechless.

 

[realanastasia]

Father of children in Loganville fire appears in court, son facing charges

“Fire crews worked tirelessly to put out the flames but were not able to get to Zoey in time. She was found dead in a room without windows. Arson investigators would later go on to determine that Zoey’s brother, 15-year-old Nathaniel Aaron McCue, had allegedly started the fire. He is now facing murder charges.

<modsnip>

 

[annpats]

"Documents add the children have not been in school in years and as the home has no sewage system, the children were using buckets to relieve themselves.”

Relieving themselves with buckets, children unable to shower for months | State files complaint against parents following deadly Gwinnett house fire

BBM.

Is that even legal to have a house with no sewage system?!

I don't know about the USA, but I know in the UK, a house has to legally have running water and functioning sewerage.

Especially with minors living there.

It's not just the fault of the parents here, because as the kids weren't at school, the local education authority should have paid them several visits. Then social services should have been called!

Even the neighbours could have called the authorities.

Several people have let these children down in a duty of care. They've slipped through the net.

If social services or a similar authority had visited, and seen how they were living, the children would have been taken into care years ago.

 

[MimosaMornings]

OMG!!! This has shades of the Turpin family situation!

Now I’m wondering if the 15-year old set the fire to try to force the authorities to address the horrific living conditions facing the children in this house…any way you slice it, though, it’s a tragedy for all concerned.

“Georgia Division of Family and Children Services is trying to place the three other kids who lived in the house in protective custody, accusing the parents of neglect and abuse. The agency said the kids have not been able to go outside the home for years.

In court documents, DFCS states it believes the other three children are in danger. The agency claims they haven’t been in school for years and hadn’t showered in months -- and the allegations don’t stop there.

“I haven’t seen her for a long time cause they locked themselves in the house because of coronavirus," the grandfather of the 10-year-old killed said. He said he lives less than two miles away from his son and his family in Loganville.

Documents add the children have not been in school in years and as the home has no sewage system, the children were using buckets to relieve themselves.”

Relieving themselves with buckets, children unable to shower for months | State files complaint against parents following deadly Gwinnett house fire

The grandfather only lives two miles away and hasn’t seen her in a long time because of Covid yet the father and elder daughter work at Waffle House?

 

[MissMalowe]

As I suspected, the 15 year old setting the house ablaze, killing his sister and everyone pooping and peeing in buckets, are (sadly) not the main issues in that household but rather mere symptoms of an even larger issue within this family/the parents.

In the video interview the dad referenced the "outpouring of support" from the community and how he had been trying to fix the plumbing issue but didn't like accepting help/using people. Guess he only likes taking advantage of his own minor children. They lived there 15 years, lived in squalor with no bathroom and continued having kids yet didn't allow any of them to go to school, the one place that would guarantee them learning AND a bathroom, perhaps even a shower.

I wouldn't give those parents $1 if I had 10 million dollars at my disposal.

 

[vls12345]

15-year-old reportedly confessed to starting fire, custody hearing begins

The article contains some truly heartbreaking details about their home life.

 

[MissMalowe]

The children didn't know not only how to use the toilets at the police station but didn't understand how to use toilet paper either.

Locked in their rooms and kept apart from one another for months.

Supervised visitation with the mother 2x a week, no mention of dad. Yet it was also mentioned mom beat the kids with belts. So why does mom get visitation and not the dad? I'm guessing dad was up to no good in additional ways that aren't mentioned in the article.

Edited to add:
The little girl who died in the fire died on her bed....a board over the bathtub was her bed and the bathroom was her bedroom.

I seriously hope unsuspecting but well-meaning community members stop donating "an outpouring of support" to the parents. They don't even have their kids anymore and with very good reason.