Fire victim identified

Warren County Coroner Bill Underwood said Wednesday the remains discovered after a Jan. 22 fire near Gerlaw have been identified as David Whiteside.

"We have received confirmation through DNA tests that Mr. Whiteside was the one in the home when it caught fire and burned," said Underwood , who noted he has contacted the family and informed them.

The house where Whiteside lived at 100th Street and 2650th Avenue near Gerlaw is hard to see from the roadway. One of Whiteside's friends had parked in the drive and walked down the winding road to the house. That is when he spotted the house on fire and called 911.

Firefighters from the Gerlaw and Alexis fire departments responded to the call about 2:30 p.m. When firefighters arrived on the scene the house was engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to knock down the blaze in a matter of minutes but the home already was destroyed.

Firefighters were informed someone might be inside the home. At the time Underwood confirmed human remains were discovered inside the residence, but the remains were burned beyond recognition.

There were no reports of anyone else being inside the house. Whiteside had not been seen since the fire but Underwood could not identify the victim without confirmation.

DNA samples were sent to a university in north Texas, but the lab's case load was backed up, delaying the identification for months.

Underwood said he received confirmation from the DNA lab this week.

The fire remains under investigation. A cause for the blaze has not been determined. The investigation is being conducted by the Warren County Sheriff's Department and the State Fire Marshal.