Fifth Body Found in Rubble of Reston Executive's Mansion: Officials

A fifth body was found Friday by crews as they combed through the ruins of a $4.2 million Annapolis mansion that was destroyed by fire, while the search for the last missing fire victim will resume on Saturday, authorities said.

On Wednesday searchers found two bodies in the charred remains of the house, and two more victims were found on Thursday. Officials would not say if the victims found were adults or children.

Relatives of Donald and Sandra Pyle said the couple and their four grandchildren died Monday when their home in the 900 block of Childs Point Road was consumed in a four-alarm blaze.

Children Perish After Weekend with Grandparents

The Washington Post reports the home is owned by Reston IT exec Donald Pyle and his wife, Sandra Pyle. Donald Pyle is chief operating officer at ScienceLogic, according to the Post, an information technology company that monitors networks for private and government clients.

WBAL TV reports the missing children were identified by a family representative as Alexis Boone, 8; Kaitlyn Boone, 7; Charlotte Boone, 8; and Wesley Boone, 6. The Boone children are the grandchildren of Sandra Pyle and the step-grandchildren of Don Pyle.

The kids had Jan. 19 off from school because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, so they spent Sunday with their grandparents and stayed overnight. The Capital-Gazette reports Sandra Pyle bought costumes the youngsters wore to dinner at Medieval Times at Arundel Mills mall in Hanover. The group then went to the Pyles’castle, as neighbors had dubbed the 16,000-square-foot house.

Kaitlyn and sister Alexis are the children of Randy and Stacey Boone, who also have a month-old son. The girls’ cousins, Wes and Charlotte, are the children of Clint and Eve Boone, the newspaper says.

Capt. Russ Davies, a spokesman for the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, said all five bodies have been taken to Baltimore for autopsies and identification. He would not say in what area of the house the bodies were found.

A post on the department’s Facebook page Friday said the bodies were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy and identification.

“This remains a complex scene and much work remains to be done,” the fire department said.

Message from Grieving Family

A statement from the Boone and Pyle families thanked emergency workers for their efforts, and the community for its condolences.

“On behalf of the Boone and Pyle families, we wish to express our gratitude and appreciation for the love and support being shared with us during this tragic event. We are blessed that so many family, friends and neighbors have come together for us in our time of need,” the statement said reports WBAL.

“Our love for our family is boundless. Our loss demands time and quiet reflection to process these feelings. We ask that you respect our need for privacy,” the statement says. “Life is fragile. Make time today to embrace your loved ones.”

Intense flames kept firefighters out of the house to search for victims Monday, as floors and ceilings collapsed. The search for victims began Wednesday once water was pumped out of the home’s basement and the skeletal structure was stabilized.

»Fire scene photos from the Anne Arundel County Fire Department’s Facebook page.

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