MONROE CO. — Authorities have released the names of two women killed in a suspicious house fire early Sunday morning that has left a community in shock and a suspect in police custody.
The Monroe County Coroner’s Office has identified the deceased as 74-year-old Mary Blake and 33-year-old Kristine Rowan. Both women were residents of Bloomington and were living in the home at the time of the blaze.
The tragedy began at approximately 2:39 a.m. Sunday, when the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Monroe County Fire Protection District were dispatched to the 3800 block of East Anderson Road.
Upon arrival, first responders discovered a chaotic scene. A car had crashed into the home’s attached garage, which was fully engulfed in flames.
One person managed to escape the house with severe burns. A second person on the scene was able to provide deputies with critical initial information regarding the fire.
During a search of the residence, deputies discovered the bodies of Blake and Rowan. Cause of death is pending official autopsy results from the Coroner’s Office.
While fire crews battled the inferno, law enforcement launched a search for an individual suspected of intentionally starting the fire. About an hour after arriving, deputies—with assistance from the Bloomington Police Department and Indiana State Police—located a person of interest hiding in a wooded area on the property.
The suspect, who also suffered burn injuries, was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital before being transferred to a specialized medical facility in Indianapolis. The suspect remains under police guard at an Indianapolis hospital; charges are pending.
Authorities have not yet clarified the relationship between the suspect and the victims, or the motive behind the crash and subsequent fire.
