A Highland man severely burned in a fire at the duplex he shared with his wife has died, and police are investigating whether he was the victim of a crime.
Christopher Englerth, 30, died Tuesday night at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis. He had been in critical condition since the fire on the morning of Jan. 5.
Eunice Harrington, Tammy Englerth's sister, declined comment Wednesday. Harrington has said the Englerths, formerly of Belleville, had a fire at an apartment a few years ago due to faulty electrical wiring.
Relatives of Christopher Englerth could not be reached.
An affidavit filed by Highland Police Detective Scott Manville states that a suspected accelerant -- a chemical used to start a fire -- was found in a bedroom of the duplex and on the bed in that room. The affidavit accompanied a request for a warrant to remove from the Englerth home any evidence of aggravated arson or aggravated battery.
Highland Police Chief Bill Pierce said the nature of any possible charges could change in light of Christopher Englerth's death.
"We know we have a fire of suspicious origin," he said. "We know that we picked up some evidence of suspected accelerant.... It could be accidental, could be suicide, could be homicide. We haven't reached that point yet."
According to the affidavit, Christopher Englerth had burns all over his body, while Tammy Englerth had burns on her hands and an ankle and had some hair singed. A lighter was found at the foot of the bed, and a gas can was found somewhere in the rented duplex, but the warrant documents do not indicate precisely where.
Pierce declined to say whether Tammy Englerth is a suspect in the fire, but said investigators don't believe anyone else was in the house besides the Englerths' 8-year-old child, who was downstairs and uninjured. Two were in school at the time of the fire.
The state fire marshal's office used a trained dog to sniff the clothing worn by the Englerths. The dog indicated an accelerant was present on both sets. All of the collected evidence has been sent to an Illinois State Police crime lab for analysis.
Tammy Englerth, 32, remained hospitalized and listed in satisfactory condition Wednesday. She was in serious condition for the seven days after the fire.
According to police, Tammy Englerth called 911 to report the fire in their duplex at 1805 Parkview. When police arrived, both were sitting outside in a car.
"It looks like he put on some kind of pajama bottoms, and went downstairs to the car under his own power," Pierce said. "With as bad as his burns were, that's pretty amazing."
Tammy Englerth has been intubated since the fire, Pierce said. Police have not been able to interview her yet.
The fire apparently started in the bedroom and spread to a bathroom, Pierce said.On the day of the fire, Tammy Englerth was to be sentenced on a charge of felony theft. She pleaded guilty in July to stealing $16,433 from a Highland chocolate store, where she worked.
The day before the fire, Madison County prosecutors charged Tammy Englerth with financial institution fraud. She is accused of opening a checking account at Scott Credit Union with a bad check for $5,775 and attempting to withdraw the money.
When Tammy Englerth is released from the hospital, she will be arrested on the bank fraud charge, Pierce said.
"My understanding is she got him out of there pretty quick," Pierce said.
Tammy Englerth filed for a divorce in July but did not follow through with it.
Christopher Englerth's body was sent to the St. Louis County medical examiner's office. A spokesman for that office declined comment. The state fire marshal's office is still waiting for results from its labs, a spokesman said.
