Top Stories

HELENWOOD — A woman is dead and her husband hospitalized following a residential fire here early Sunday morning, and investigators are treating her death as a possible homicide.

Melissa Chandler, 37, of Helenwood, died as a result of injuries sustained in the blaze, which occurred at her residence at 295 Butler Lane, near the Tunnel Hill community just outside Oneida.

Chandler’s husband, Timothy C. Chandler, 53, remained hospitalized early Tuesday as a result of injuries sustained in the fire.

According to Det. Don Laxton of the Scott County Sheriff’s Department, the origin of the fire is suspicious, and investigators are handling the investigation as a homicide.

Det. Laxton, who is joined in his investigation by Bomb-Arson Investigator Daniel Foster of the State Fire Marshal’s office, said that the fire appears to have begun on the front porch of the residence, which was completely destroyed in the blaze.

911 records indicate that Timothy Chandler reported the fire at 2:29 a.m. K9 Officer Kris Lewallen was first on the scene six minutes later, at which point Chandler, with the help of a neighbor, had pulled Melissa Chandler from the residence.

Det. Laxton said that Melissa Chandler had stopped breathing, but was revived by Officer Lewallen, who performed CPR. Chandler was later transported to Scott County Hospital Emergency Room by Scott County EMS, where she died.

“All indications right now are that smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide inhalation are the causes of death,” Det. Laxton said.

Paint Rock Volunteer Fire Department arrived on the scene at 2:45 a.m., where they were joined by equipment and manpower from Oneida Fire Department.

Timothy Chandler, 53, faces charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, and had been released from jail on bail several days prior to the fire. Reportedly, a plea deal was in the works on those charges.

Melissa Chandler is survived by her son, Jimmy Chandler. A funeral service was not announced (for a complete obituary, see page B3).