Fifth body found shot near West Virginia house fire where four people died

IRELAND, W.Va. (AP) — A fifth body was discovered behind a chicken coop near the charred ruins of a home where four bodies — ages 3 months to 90 years — were found in northern West Virginia, authorities said Tuesday.

The person found outdoors had died of an apparent gunshot wound, Lewis County Sheriff Dave Gosa told The Exponent-Telegram. The identities and cause of death for the other four people won’t be released until autopsies are finished later this week.

The fire occurred Monday in the Lewis County community of Ireland. Authorities later found a 45-year-old suspect dead by suicide inside a vehicle in Hugheston, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest of Ireland.

“To deal with a tragedy like this, we need a lot of prayers,” Gosa said.

Deputies confirmed with Lewis County authorities that the man was a suspect in the fire. The Kanawha County sheriff’s office is handling the investigation surrounding the man’s death. The vehicle was parked outside the home of the man’s relatives, who called authorities when he initially knocked on their door, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

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