"They probably couldn't handle the shame:" Pleasant Prairie house fire victims are identified
Two bodies pulled from Pleasant Prairie house fire now identified
Two bodies pulled from Pleasant Prairie house fire now identified
PLEASANT PRAIRIE (WITI) -- Officials identified on Saturday, March 21st that the two bodies found in a house in Pleasant Prairie are indeed that of Paula Moctezuma and David White.
The identifications were made by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office with the assistance of the Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office. Dental records were used in the identification process.
Moctezuma and White have been at the center of a case concerning 55 dead horses and other allegations of animal neglect.
A burning odor still hangs in the air outside the boarded up home in Pleasant Prairie. Scorch marks and tire tracks also bear witness to the blaze that burned in the early morning hours of Thursday, March 19th.
Frank Olandese lives across the street from the home that burned. He says he never met the owners, David and Paula White. Paula also goes by the name Paula Moctezuma.
"I always thought the house was abandoned, I've never seen anybody over there, gates have always been locked -- it's always just been an empty piece of property," said Olandese.
Olandese's only lived across the street since October, but he says during that time, it was clear no one was living in there.
He has heard the stories of the nightmare that once existed there: In April of 2013, officials found 55 dead horses on the property -- and other animals that appeared to have been neglected.
The White's were both facing felony charges of animal mistreatment from that case. A friend of the Whites' spoke with FOX6 News after the fire.
"There was a lot of negativity the past couple years and it really was more of a hoarding issue," said the White's friend.
Police, fire officials and the State Fire Marshals Office are now investigating the cause of the fire. But some don't think it's a coincidence the place went up in flames on the same day the Whites were due in court.
"I guess they figured that they knew where their lives were and they probably couldn't handle the shame," said Olandese.
A jury did find the Whites guilty on Thursday, March 19th.
Officials were able to identify the Whites' bodies with the help of their dental records.
Anyone with information relevant to this matter is encouraged to contact the Pleasant Prairie Police Department at 262-694-7353 or Kenosha Area Crime Stoppers at 262-656-7333 or 800-807-TIPS (8477).