Human remains were discovered inside a fire-damaged home on Terry Street in Houston on Thursday afternoon, nearly two weeks after flames tore through the vacant house and spread to neighboring properties. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences has confirmed the remains are human, but their identity, gender and cause of death remain unknown pending further investigation.
According to the Houston Police Department, the remains were found at 2814 Terry Street at about 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 29. As detailed by the City of Houston Newsroom, Houston Fire Department Arson Division investigators were notified by neighbors about a foul odor coming from the home, and upon checking, located what they believed were human remains. HPD homicide detectives then responded to the scene.
A Fire Days Earlier Left the House Empty and Damaged
The discovery comes days after firefighters first responded to the address. The same city release notes that the Houston Fire Department had responded to a house fire at the property days earlier, before the remains were found. Per the city's account, Houston Fire Department Arson Division investigators located what they believed were human remains only after the odor complaint led them back to the scene.
That earlier blaze happened around 5:30 a.m. on October 18, according to the station's report from ABC13 Houston, which covered firefighters being called to the Terry Street home for a house fire. Separate reporting from KPRC Click2Houston indicates the Houston Fire Department confirmed the home was vacant at the time of the fire and that no injuries were reported, though the flames spread and damaged at least two neighboring homes.
Cause of Death and Identity Remain Pending
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences has not yet determined the identity or gender of the remains, both of which are described as pending verification. The cause of death is likewise pending determination by autopsy, with no timeline given for when those results might be available.
The Houston Fire Department Arson Division is investigating the cause of the October 18 fire separately from the homicide investigation now underway. It remains unclear whether the two inquiries will intersect, and no information has been released about who owned or occupied the home.
Pattern of Skeletal Remains Cases Across Houston
The Terry Street case follows a string of other remains discoveries reported around Houston in recent weeks. In September, a homicide investigation was opened after skeletal remains turned up in a neighborhood south of downtown Houston, as reported by ABC13 Houston. More recently, a lawn crew discovered skeletal remains while working at a vacant lot off the Sam Houston Tollway in northwest Houston, according to KPRC Click2Houston. Neither of those cases has been publicly linked to the Terry Street discovery.
HPD homicide detectives are asking anyone with information about the Terry Street case to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600. No further updates on the identity of the remains, a possible suspect, or the cause of the fire have been released as of Thursday.
