Aiexpress – Police are investigating a suspicious fire near St. Louis that killed a woman and four children, describing it as a “horrific tragedy.”
At 4:23 a.m. Monday, firefighters were dispatched to a Ferguson residence, where they discovered the building engulfed in flames. According to St. Louis County Police Sgt. Tracy Panus, the five people who perished were discovered inside the home.
In an email, Panus stated that “evidence located on the property” deemed the cause of the fire “suspicious,” but she did not clarify. St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Investigators are helping with the investigation.
As of Tuesday morning, police had not identified the victims but described them as a mom and four children.
According to relatives and neighbors, Bernadine Pruessner lived there with her four children. Pruessner’s father, Cordell Beache, told the newspaper that his daughter is “an amazing person” with “very bright” children. Although he could not confirm their deaths, he informed the newspaper that he had not heard from them since the fire.
Beache stated that his daughter was nearing completion of her doctorate in early childhood teaching. She worked as an assistant professor in the child development department at Lewis & Clark Community College in Godfrey, Illinois.
“She was just one of those people that if you were in a bad mood and talked to her, she would make you feel a lot better,” relative Tyler Justice told CBS station KMOV-TV, adding, “They were some of the smartest, brightest kids you could have, and full of life, just like she was.”
According to authorities, three dogs died in the fire, but chickens and rabbits survived. According to KMOV-TV, an animal rescue organization arrived at the house late in the afternoon to rescue 11 rabbits and two cats.
The Ferguson Police Department shared more than a dozen photos of the incident on social media, with some showing firefighters battling the blaze.
“Tonight our hearts are heavy,” the department stated. “Please pray for this family, our first responders, and our town as we all deal with this awful event. Thank you to everyone who responded and supported us.
Jerry McClure, a neighbor, claimed he woke up to see flames. He contacted 911 and proceeded to the house with another neighbor, where they discovered the south side on fire.
“The smoke was terrible. “I attempted to kick the front door,” McClure explained. “We just couldn’t wake them up.”
Beache said he was with the family on Sunday night to see Ellie and Ivy Pruessner, twin 9-year-olds, play soccer. They then went out for dinner together.
Beache told the Post-Dispatch that the residence also housed five-year-old Jackson Spader and two-year-old Millie Spader.
“It felt like my heart had suddenly dropped to the bottom of my stomach. “And all I could do was pray,” neighbor Jamie Young told KMOV-TV.
Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse in December, admitting to torturing her children, including the now 12-year-old kid who escaped Hildebrandt’s home. Franke stated in the plea deal, which included graphic accounts of abuse, that her son was frequently shackled and that her nine-year-old daughter was forced to perform physical labor outside in the blazing sun without water or shoes. Both youngsters were frequently taught that they were possessed and that their punishments were necessary to save them.
According to court documents acquired by KUTV, the kid told officials that Hildebrandt tied him up and treated wounds caused by the restraints with home remedies.
As part of her plea deal, Franke agreed to serve a prison sentence and that her sentences would run consecutively. She also consented to testify against Hildebrandt.
Hildebrandt, just days after Franke, pleaded guilty to four charges of child abuse. Her plea deal claimed that she either tortured or was aware of the children’s maltreatment. The agreement further alleged that Hildebrandt “either physically forced or coerced” Franke’s daughter to “jump into a cactus multiple times.”
According to Washington County Attorney Eric Clarke, their religious convictions served as a driving force behind the crimes.
“It felt like my heart had suddenly dropped to the bottom of my stomach. “And all I could do was pray,” neighbor Jamie Young told KMOV-TV.
