A Byron, Illinois mother and her three-year-old son didn’t die as the result of a house fire, police determined.
On October 19, Margaret Meyer, 31, a behavior disorder teacher at Chana Educational Center, and her young son Amos, died in a fire at their Silverthorn home, police originally said.
However, on Friday authorities ruled both deaths as homicides and investigators are continuing to search for those responsible, WREX reported.
The fire at Margaret’s home was reported around 6:40 a.m. October 19 by Margaret’s ex-husband, Duane C. Meyer.
According to saukvalley.com, he told authorities that he showed up to the home to pick up their son.
When firefighters arrived to the house, Duane was in the front yard performing CPR on Amos. The young boy was rushed to Rockford Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Margaret was found dead on a couch inside the home.
Police said the fire was started near the couch, but couldn’t figure out what triggered the blaze. Margaret didn’t smoke and authorities found no electronics or space heater near the couch that could have started the fire.
A few weeks after the blaze, the Ogly County Sheriff’s Office labeled the fire as “suspicious” and said new information revealed that it had been started around 5:00 p.m. on October 18, the evening before it was reported.
So far, no arrests have been made in connection to Margaret and Amos’ deaths.
