Police believe Denver murder suspects committed arson to hide clues

DENVER (CNN) -- Three men accused of killing five people at a bar and then setting a fire to cover their tracks are in custody, Denver police said Thursday, October 18th.

Officers arrested Dexter Lewis, 22; Joseph Hill, 27; and Lynell Hill, 26, late Wednesday night in connection with the deaths, Police Cmdr. Ron Saunier said.

The case seems straight out of a TV crime drama.

When firefighters arrived at the burning Fero's Bar and Grill early Wednesday morning, they found five bodies inside -- four women and a man.

But as investigators checked the corpses, they began to suspect it wasn't the fire that killed the victims. Each body showed obvious signs of trauma, which police said prompted them to think someone set the blaze to hide evidence of murders.

The three men face five counts each of first degree murder, felony murder, aggravated robbery and arson, and could face more charges, according to Saunier.

Police believe the three in custody were the only ones involved, and robbery was their motive, Saunier said.

CNN affiliate KDVR reports that Lewis just finished a three-year prison term in June after pleading guilty to robbery and assaulting a police officer in 2009.

The incident is still under investigation, with officers following up on more search warrants, Saunier said.

Fero's Bar and Grill sits in a high-profile location on Colorado Boulevard, a six-lane state highway that runs north-south through east Denver.

The Denver Medical Examiner released the names of the victims Thursday. They were identified as: Daria Pohl, 22, of Denver; Kellene Fallon, 45, of Denver; Terease Beesley, 45, of Denver; Ross Richter, 29; and Young Fero, 63, who local media said owned the bar.

CNN's Shawn Nottingham and Mark Morgenstein contributed to this report