WASHINGTON – Anne Arundel County fire officials on Thursday said two more bodies were recovered from the scene of Monday’s fatal mansion fire.
The remains were sent to Baltimore for identification and autopsies are planned.
Two more family members remain unaccounted for. The remains of two other individuals were recovered Wednesday. Their names have not been released.
Fire investigators and searchers are combing through debris Friday in an effort to locate the other two bodies. Anne Arundel County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Russ Davies says that if six bodies are located at the site, it will be the county’s most deadly residential fire in decades.
In a statement issued earlier Thursday, family members released the names of the four children who they said were missing. The statement lists the children’s names as Alexis (Lexi) Boone, 8; Kaitlyn (Katie) Boone, 7; Charlotte Boone, 8; and Wesley Boone, 6.
On Sunday night, Don and Sandra Pyle took their four grandchildren to Medieval Times at Arundel Mills Mall, The Washington Post reports. Afterward, they all had a sleepover in a castle of their own — the Pyle’s 16,000-square-foot mansion on Child’s Point Road.
Early Monday morning, the Annapolis-area riverfront mansion burned to the ground. Officials said Tuesday that relatives believed homeowners Sandra and Don Pyle and their four grandchildren were inside the mansion when it caught fire.
Davies said Wednesday that when the bodies were found, he couldn’t tell if they were adults or children. Davies said he did not know how long it would take to identify the victims and determine their cause of death.
WTOP received this statement attributed to the parents of the missing children. It reads:
On behalf of the Boone and Pyle families, we wish to express our gratitude and appreciation for the love and support being shared with us during this tragic event. We are blessed that so many family, friends, and neighbors have come together for us in our time of need.
We recognize the dedicated efforts from Anne Arundel County Fire and Police Departments, the Naval Academy, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and other first responders. We want our community to know how proud we are of all who have helped us.
Our love for our family is boundless. Our loss demands time and quiet reflection to process these feelings. We ask that you respect our need for privacy.
Life is fragile. Make time today to embrace your loved ones.
Below is the statement:
The Navy fire department that serves the U.S. Naval Academy also responded to Monday’s four-alarm fire, an official there confirms.
On Friday, family members released descriptions of the family members involved in the fire:
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.
