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Woman Dies in Lee's Summit Fire
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Woman Dies in Lee's Summit Fire
September 3, 2010
Battery Disconnected from Smoke Alarm
By Debbie Van Pelt
Tribune Photo/ Fred Poese
One month before her 34th birthday, Kelly B. Hill was found dead in an apartment fire at 713 SE Douglas Street on Thursday morning. Although neither the Lee’s Summit Police nor Fire Department could officially identify the body before the Tribune’s press deadline Thursday night, neighbors, who were also long term co-workers of Hill’s, said they were certain she was the victim. Hill lived alone in the second floor apartment.
When Sharon Link, owner of the 10-unit apartment building, arrived at the scene at approximately 7a.m., a first-floor tenant told her water was coming through his ceiling. When Link went to investigate, she noticed smoke coming from Hill’s apartment and called 911 to report a fire at apartment 5. Link and second-floor tenant Michael Grimes were unable to rouse Hill, whose door was locked. They then began alerting other tenants.
Grimes and his next-door neighbor Bridget Holloway went back to Hill’s apartment to try again to wake her. Grimes said, “We looked in the window, but it was dark and smoky. All we could see was the couch on fire.” Holloway said, “Mike and I were pounding and screaming for Kelly. The front door was getting hot. We were probably at her door for only a couple of minutes before the fire department arrived and made us leave the premises.” Hill, Holloway and Grimes have worked together for several years as managers of Waldo’s Pizza, 1543 NE Douglas, and are close friends.
Assistant Fire Chief Jim Eden reported that the Lee’s Summit Fire Department responded to the fire at 7:21 a.m. and found light smoke coming from the window of apartment 5. When tenants told them they believed Hill was asleep in the apartment, firefighters forced their way into the locked apartment. The fire was confined to the living room couch, although there was extensive heat and thick smoke throughout the apartment. The fire was quickly brought under control and the deceased victim was found in a bedroom at the back of the apartment.
Sergeant Michael Childs, Public Information Officer for the Lee’s Summit Police Department stated there was no indication of foul play and that the death was being “investigated as an unattended death in relation to the fire.” An autopsy was to be performed on Friday to determine the exact cause of death. The source of the fire had not been determined by the time the Tribune went to press, although the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office determined was accidental. Childs said the water running into the lower-level apartment was coming from a radiator unit, which had been burned by the fire, causing the leak.
Speculating on what might have happened, Grimes said, “She (Kelly Hill) did smoke; and she liked to light candles.” He added, “She probably got home from work between 11 and 11:30 last night.” Holloway added, “She liked to have fun, and music was a big part of her life. We loved her.” Hill had two pet cats, one of which perished in the fire. She typically left a window open several inches, so the cats could come and go as they pleased. One cat escaped and was seen later in the day walking up and down the stairs to the apartment.
The building owner was reluctant to answer questions. Link refused to say how many of the apartments were occupied or why she arrived at the apartment building on Thursday morning. Authorities reported that the battery in the apartment’s smoke alarm had been disconnected.
The number of official police and fire cars and trucks at the scene varied throughout the nearly eight-hour day. At one point there were 14-15 vehicles, causing neighbors to question if something more than a fire death was being investigated. One neighboring homeowner, who did not want to be identified, said, “They must have had every detective from both in-town and out of town here. We’re wondering if this has something to do with drugs.” Another neighbor said, “This apartment building has always been a problem. They’ve always tended to rent to questionable people, although it’s gotten a lot better since it changed ownership about five years ago.”
A police official stated that the apartment building typically has a “younger, partying crowd” there and there have been issues with disturbance calls. He did not indicate that any of those calls were related to apartment five, Hill’s residence.
Donna Vaughan invited the media to an impromptu press conference at Waldo Pizza on Thursday afternoon. She and Susan Sims wanted to have the opportunity to express how they felt about Hill. Although, KMBC-TV9, KCTV-5 and KSHB-41 attended the session, the Tribune was the only newspaper there.
Vaughan and Sims often got teary-eyed during the conference. Vaughan said, “Working with Kelly was one of the most delightful experiences of my life. She was a born leader. Within 20 minutes of being at work, she had everyone laughing. She knew how to rally the troops, and she was great with kids.” Hill had been employed at Waldo Pizza since its opening six years ago.
Although some neighbors would only speak off the record, Linda and Roland Johnson, who live in a well-kept home next door to the apartments, were happy to talk. Linda said her husband had smelled smoke earlier in the morning, and was saddened when Linda called him at work to tell him there had been a fatal fire right next door.
In an interview Thursday night, Roland Johnson explained, “I was filling my water jug at 5:15, like always, when I thought I smelled smoke. The night before, I had been using a halogen light in my garage, and my immediate thought was that the smell must be coming from the garage. I went out there, but I didn’t find anything wrong. I walked to the front and looked toward the street light. It was damp and dark outside and I couldn’t tell if I was seeing smoke or fog. I even looked toward the apartments and didn’t see anything. So, I woke my wife up around 5:45 and told her to be alert because I thought I had smelled smoke. I just wish I had known so I could have done something.”
Updates and an obituary for Kelly B. Hill will be posted at www.lstribune.net when available.
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