Houston Fire Victim was Shot

A woman found dead in a fire had been shot, officials told KPRC Local 2. Houston firefighters responded to the blaze on Memel Street near Linn Street at about 3 p.m. Thursday. Neighbors said they saw some activity around the home at about 1:30 p.m. and the fire broke out a short time later. "What's so sad about it is I couldn't help," neighbor Wilton Gilliam said. "I couldn't do nothing to help them and God knows I was trying." Firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the home when they arrived. "It appears the fire started in one of the front rooms, possibly the living room," said O.S. Longoria with the Houston Fire Department. Firefighters found a woman dead in the bathroom. Investigators discovered she had been shot. Neighbors said the woman lived in the home with her husband and two children. Officials said the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the woman's identity and exact cause of death. "The intensity of the fire rendered the body fairly disfigured," Sgt. Mike Walker said. Investigators said they do not know if the woman was shot before or after the fire started. Arson investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire while homicide detectives determine if the woman's death involved foul play. Anyone with information is asked to contact Houston Police Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.