A grim scene on a quiet stretch of Cabin Creek Road in Kanawha County has now been officially labeled a homicide, according to county officials. First responders were dispatched Sunday morning after a caller reported a suspicious vehicle, and crews arrived to find the car on fire with a body inside. The remains are believed to be those of an adult male, and deputies say the case is very much active and under investigation.
At a Monday press conference, Kanawha County Chief Deputy Sean Snuffer said deputies were first called around 9:50 a.m. after a 911 caller reported the vehicle’s doors standing open and items scattered nearby. About 13 minutes later, a second caller reported that the car was now on fire. Fire crews put out the blaze and discovered the body, which was taken to the medical examiner’s office. An autopsy conducted Monday determined the death to be a homicide, Snuffer said. “We can’t answer a whole lot of questions,” he added, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
Local station WSAZ reported the scene was in the 300 block of Cabin Creek Road just before 10 a.m., with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s detective bureau taking the lead on the investigation. WSAZ noted the car was “engulfed in flames” when deputies arrived and that officials released only limited information as they processed the scene. Authorities have not yet publicly identified the victim or announced any suspects.
Fire Marshal Joins Probe; Detectives Seek Tips
The state fire marshal has joined the investigation to help determine how the vehicle caught fire, while detectives continue collecting evidence from the area. Anyone with information is asked to contact Kanawha County detectives at 304-357-0556 or submit a tip via the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office website, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
What Investigators Have Said and What’s Next
Sheriff’s officials say they are keeping many details under wraps while the homicide investigation is underway and have asked for the public’s patience as detectives follow up on leads. Authorities will rely on the medical examiner’s findings and the detective bureau’s work to reconstruct what happened, and they say more information will be released when it is appropriate to do so. We’ll update this story as officials share additional details.
