No Charges In Fire That Killed Man's Wife, Daughters

TUCKER, GA — No charges will be filed in a 2016 fire in Tucker that killed a woman and her two daughters, Gwinnett County's district attorney said Friday.

The Gwinnett Daily Post reports that District Attorney Danny Porter said there is "no smoking gun" in the case.

Fire investigators had noted "inconsistencies" in the story of Brent Patterson, the fire's lone survivor. Patterson's wife, Kathy, and daughters Kayla, 12, and Madelyn, 9, were killed in the February 9, 2016 blaze on Pointer Ridge.

Porter said Friday the DA’s office believes the fire was started by a person, but it could not prove it due to the intense nature of the fire and the destruction caused by the flames, the Daily Post reported.

Last July, Gwinnett County's medical examiner ruled the deaths in the fire "accidental," but stepped back from that ruling days later, saying there had been a "verbal miscommunication" between her staff and fire investigators.

That same month, Patterson had the remains of the family's fire-damaged home demolished, even though investigations were still ongoing, Gwinnett fire officials said.

To read the full report in the Gwinnett Daily Post, click here.

Photo courtesy Gwinnett Fire & Emergency Services