MD - Body Allegedly Found In Well Amid House Fire Investigation, Leonardtown, 2 Aug 2024

[Slamalam]

Leonardtown, Maryland, USA. Curious to see how this one develops and wondering if it will make national news…

(Local news source)

Breaking News: Body Allegedly Found In Well Amid House Fire Investigation - The BayNet

UPDATE – 8/5/2024 – Body Of Callaway Man Found In Well, Investigation Ongoing LEONARDTOWN, Md. – In the early hours of August 2, 2024, at approximately 12:22 a.m., fire and rescue personnel were dispatched to a structure fire on Point Lookout Road near Lightfoot Way. The incident was initially...

thebaynet.com

“In a developing turn of events, a tip has led to speculation that a body was found 55 feet down at the bottom of a well on the same property as the house fire. ATF agents, along with firefighters and emergency personnel, are currently on the scene, thoroughly investigating the situation.”

 

[Slamalam]

Update- local news source.

“The Maryland State Police and the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal are actively investigating a house fire, a missing person report, and a body found in a well at a residence that caught fire on Friday, August 2, 2024….

Firefighters from Second District, Leonardtown, Hollywood, NAS Patuxent River, and Potomac Heights responded to the scene to recover the body from the well, which was approximately 40 to 50 feet deep.

Crews worked on the scene for over six hours, making multiple attempts to recover the body from the well without success. The recovery was called off around 3:00 a.m. due to concerns about the structural integrity of the well.
…
The body was recovered in the afternoon.”

UPDATE: State Police and Fire Marshal Investigate House Fire, Missing Person, and Body Found in Well

UPDATE 8/4/2024: The Maryland State Police, Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal are actively investigating the cause of the house fire, a missing person report, and body found in a well at the residence which caught fire on Friday, August 2nd, 2024.

smnewsnet.com

 

[Slamalam]

Victim has been identified as Joseph Andrew Murrin

A missing man's house caught fire then his body was discovered 30 ft deep in a well

A man's body was discovered 30 ft deep at the bottom of a well adjacent to his home on Saturday in Callaway, Maryland, Maryland State Police say.

www.wmar2news.com

 

[tlcya]

Joseph Andrew Murrin, 53, was reported missing by his family on August 2 after a fire at his home.

On August 3, family members located Murrin 30 ft deep at the bottom of the well.
A missing man's house caught fire then his body was discovered 30 ft deep in a well

So am I understanding the sequence of events here?

1. On 8-2-24 a fire happens at his residence, it is reported by a neighbor, and investigated as suspicious in nature.
2. Joseph is not found at the residence during the fire and family subsequently reports he is missing, also on 8-2-24.
3. On 8-3-24 family member(s) find what may be his body 30 feet down a well that is either next to his property or on his property.
4. Body is subsequently officially identified as the missing man.

I have several questions:

was the well on his property or "adjacent" to his property? If not his then whose?
did his family members know about the well? because how did they come to find him at the bottom of a well? Did one of them go down or were they somehow able to illuminate the well enough to see him down there?

very unusual case.

 

[tlcya]

no updates on this unusual case

 

[NervousNellie]

I also have those same, excellent questions, @tlcya !

 

[ghostrighter]

Update from August 8. Family found Joseph in the well when they were searching for him.

Death investigation underway in St. Mary's

Troopers from the Maryland State Police are investigating the death of a Callaway man whose body was discovered at the bottom of a well outside of his residence on Aug.

www.somdnews.com

 

[tlcya]

Update from August 8. Family found Joseph in the well when they were searching for him.

Death investigation underway in St. Mary's

Troopers from the Maryland State Police are investigating the death of a Callaway man whose body was discovered at the bottom of a well outside of his residence on Aug.

www.somdnews.com

so they've confirmed that unnamed family members located him in the well, but not much else.

Still leaves me wondering, did the family know the well was there? Was it covered? and who thought "let's check the well"? and how did were they able to visually see him down the 30 foot well? Or did someone have to be lowered down and which allowed them to make the grim discovery?

 

[tlcya]

it's been two weeks. no updates. I'm super curious about this one. I wonder if the well is located "adjacent" to the general vicinity of where the fire was located. Could he have tried to escape the fire from an upper floor and then fell into the well? a sort of out of the fire into the well kindof thing?

 

[tlcya]

it's looking like we may never hear how Mr. Murrin came to be in the bottom of that well. RIP sir.

 

[slowpoke]

Did he jump in there for the water because his body was on fire from the house fire?
Or is that a dumb thought.

(I don’t know much about wells, so am assuming there’d be some water in it.)

JMO

 

[STLBlues]

Did he jump in there for the water because his body was on fire from the house fire?
Or is that a dumb thought.

(I don’t know much about wells, so am assuming there’d be some water in it.)

JMO

You would assume, if the well is on his property (which we're not sure about as it's been stated as both on his property and on an adjacent property) he would know at least the approximate depth of the well (we've heard 55 feet and 30 feet deep). I can't imagine jumping/dropping myself into a well of known depth, much less one of unknown depth. But, then again, if his clothing were on fire who knows what someone might do.