WEST JORDAN, Utah — The man believed to have caused a West Jordan home fire that killed himself and three members of his family last week had sold his belongings beforehand, police said, adding that authorities had previously been called to the home for a domestic violence incident.
In a release Tuesday, West Jordan police did not share the names of the family involved in the fire, saying they are waiting to receive confirmation of the identities from the Office of the Medical Examiner, but said that it appears the fire was a murder-suicide.
Although police said they had been called once to the home at an unspecified date for a domestic violence incident, they did not share details on what led to the prior call.
Police did offer new details into Friday's fire, including information that the unidentified father had called his employer on Friday to let them know he would be late for work that day.
Watch full police briefing on West Jordan family arson below:
Video from neighborhood security cameras also showed the man pacing outside the home "a few minutes" before the explosion at the house. Police said they had learned that the man had sold his belongings in the days prior to the fire.
Three people were found dead inside the home immediately after the fire, while a female child was able to escape. Before the girl died a day later, she was able to give investigators information that led them "in the direction of believing the father was the person who caused the fire."
Police shared that the evidence collected at the scene corroborated the girl's account. They added that the deaths of the family were caused by the fire and no other manner.
During an investigation into the fire, detectives found a gas can near the father, and first responders told police that they smelled a strong odor of gasoline throughout the home even after the fire was put out. They added that the explosion was caused by a buildup of fumes from an accelerant.
In the days since the incident at the home along 6400 West, neighbors have been streaming in and out, stopping by a makeshift memorial that's been created to remember the family.
One girl who visited the memorial wanted people to remember how positive the family was.
“Feels like something’s missing and just like, everyone just quiet,” said Miranda, who was friends with the girl who died in the fire.
Miranda said that she went to school with the girl and shared how they always laughed in the hallways together.
“I’ll always cherish how kind she was to me," Miranda remembered. "If I was going through like, hard times, she’d just show support and then her brother would always say these jokes when we’d walk home.”
Others added how they'll miss the family as the devastation of what happened in their backyard remains.
“I think it’s been shocking to know that this kind of violence was done in this neighborhood,” said neighbor Ginger Fitzgerald.
Miranda wants people to remember how wonderful her friends were.
"They were really kind, nice, and they always had a smile," she said, "and that’s the thing that’s so powerful."
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Resources for domestic violence victims/prevention (free, 24/7, confidential):
Utah Domestic Violence Coalition
- Hotline: 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- Online help: udvc.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline
- 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- Online live chat: thehotline.org
- If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or in an emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.
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For those struggling with thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can now be reached by simply dialing 988 any time for free support. Resources are also available online at utahsuicideprevention.org.
