A tragic discovery has been made in Jesup, Georgia, where officials found a body inside a home that burned down earlier this month. Authorities are now investigating what happened.
Here’s what we know so far:
The house, located at 204 North Palm Street, caught fire on January 6. Several weeks later, on January 24, officials, including City Manager Nicholas D. Ellis and other elected leaders, were notified that a body had been found inside the burned home.
Ellis has stated that his office will be reviewing how the Jesup Fire Department handled the situation. He also said he fully supports the ongoing investigations by the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Jesup Police Department, who are working to determine both the cause of the fire and the cause of the victim’s death.
There are still many unanswered questions.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim, and it’s unclear whether the body was discovered on the same day officials were informed or sometime before that. Investigators also haven’t said if they suspect arson or any criminal activity. Right now, there are no known suspects, and the investigation is still in its early stages.
City Manager Ellis is urging the community to be patient as officials work to gather the facts. In a statement, he said, “Although the incident’s circumstances remain unknown, we kindly ask for you to allow the public safety officials to investigate the facts surrounding the structure fire’s origin and the GBI crime lab to conduct an autopsy and provide a completed report.” He also mentioned that if there are any signs of foul play, the Jesup Police Chief will likely request help from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
If you have any information that could help with this case, you can contact the Jesup Police Department at 912-427-1300 or the State Fire Marshal’s Office at 470-572-5722.
