OK Firefighters Find Dead Man Inside Burning Home

Muskogee Fire Marshal says the fire may be arson, but further investigation is needed.

Source Muskogee Phoenix, OK

Dec. 8, 2018

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Muskogee, OK, firefighters found a man burned inside a bedroom while battling a house fire at 1158 Maple St.

Gary Dee Lemoine, 67, was dead when firefighters found him, Muskogee Fire Marshal Derrell R. Jones said. It was unknown Friday whether Lemoine died as a result of fire-related causes or if he was dead beforehand.

“At this point we don’t have a clue how he died,” Jones said. “Until the medical examiner conducts its examination, we don’t know.”

Jones said it appears the fire originated in the bedroom where Lemoine was found. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

“It looks like arson, but we haven’t determined that yet,” Jones said. “We can’t say for sure that it’s arson until we exhaust all our avenues and go through all of our investigation steps.”

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