BY CHRIS LAWRENCE
CHARLESTON — A Lewis County man, a suspect in a deadly arson fire that claimed multiple lives, took his own life in eastern Kanawha County Monday morning, a few hours after the blaze was reported.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department said Luke Wilson, 45, of Walkersville, was knocking on the door of a family member in Hugheston at around 3:30 a.m. Monday. Deputies were dispatched there a short time later because Wilson was a suspect in a suspicious fire on Glady Creek Road, near the community of Ireland in Lewis County.
Kanawha County Chief Deputy Joe Crawford said responding deputies found the vehicle they were looking for at around 4 a.m. Monday.
“We located the vehicle and as they pulled up on scene it appeared the individual in the car they were looking for committed suicide,” Crawford said.
Wilson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Meanwhile, four bodies were recovered at the scene of the fire in Lewis County Monday afternoon. It is believed only four people were in the house at the time of the blaze.,
“Once units got on scene they realized they had what appeared to be at least one fatality, but as they continued to work the scene, we realized it was going to be multiple fatalities,” said Deputy State Fire Marshal Robbie Bailey.
The cause of the blaze is considered suspicious.
The state Fire Marshal’s Office said more information would be released in connection with the fire as it becomes available.
