KDKA NewsA father-of-three is thought to have killed himself by blowing up his house on the same day as his daughter’s wedding.
Homicide detectives began investigating the explosion after flames were reported at two homes on Saturday afternoon (September 14) in Edgewood, Pennsylvania.
Emergency officials said one house collapsed, while the one next door was damaged.
The male homeowner was seen standing outside the house shortly before it exploded and caught fire, but he could not be accounted for in the immediate aftermath. He was later found dead in the rubble of the house.
Police confirmed the body belonged to the homeowner, though they did not share his identity. According to property records obtained by the MailOnline, the house belonged to a man named John Evans.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report Police Chief Robert Payne initially deemed the fire suspicious because there was ‘no reason for this particular house to go up.’
Here’s what’s left of the house this morning. pic.twitter.com/oaFXaWmO4n
— Chris Hoffman (@NewsmanChris) September 15, 2019
The chief said there were no gas issues with the house and that he knew of the homeowner.
Police later ruled the death a suicide and according to KDKA News officials found apparent suicide notes in the man’s car. Officials are still investigating the explosion’s cause but Police Chief Robert Payne said it ‘looks like he disconnected the gas line in the basement of the house’.
He added:
Of course, it wouldn’t take much of a spark to explode the house.
We’re live this morning at the scene of a house explosion in Edgewood. We have the report on @KDKA with @NewsmanChris. pic.twitter.com/nHhniXGUhQ
— Jeremy Stockdill (@412Storyteller) September 15, 2019
According to social media, one of Evans’ three daughters was getting married on the same day the explosion occurred.
Payne said:
It’s my understanding that his family had a wedding today, and that most of the family was out of the house, but we have witnesses that indicate they saw him near the house just before the explosion.
Police reportedly said they had been to the home before for domestic issues relating to mental illness.
Neighbour Dann Laudermilch spoke to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the explosion, explaining he was working at home when his house shook ‘fairly violently’.
KDKA NewsHe said:
I would say about 60 to 90 seconds after getting out here, the house just collapsed in one large movement with a lot of sound to it.
By that time it was fully in flames. It went up in flames remarkably fast. I thought it would take longer to burn, but it was like a minute and a half — it was crazy.
One of the man’s daughters took to social media hours after the explosion to ask people to respect the family’s privacy.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.