Posted on 08/25/2002 5:31:16 PM PDT by COB1
About three months ago, under the advice of the Texas Attorney General's office, I wrote a registered letter to Joyce M. Carter of the Medical Examiner's Office of Harris County in Houston, Texas, requesting the coroner's report on Herbert Paul Meadows, known to us as CHIEF Negotiator, who died in a fire at his house on October 4, 2001.
That report along with the Houston Fire Department's report on the investigation of that fire has finally arrived.
Without going into the technical aspects of the autopsy report, CHIEF Negotiator's death was ruled as accidental due to smoke inhalation.
NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY:
From the Arson Bureau's report:
"The fire originated at floor level approximately 4 feet west of the east wall adjacent to the south wall in the formal dining area. At this point the sheetrock on the south wall shows calcination along the south wall approximately 6 feet in length in the area below the southeast window. This suggests an area of intense burning and high heat.
The wood wall base trim at the area of origin was deeply charred by the fire. A wooden dining set of 4 wooden chairs and a wooden table were almost completely consumed by the fire. Small charred pieces of the table and chairs were all that remained.
The fire was very intense in the dining room area and spread to the adjacent rooms to the east, west and north. These rooms sustained high heat and fire damage from the fire spread. The fire consumed wooden doors separating the dining room from the kitchen and family room. Burn patterns were consistent with a fire moving from the dining room area into the adjacent rooms."
These next pics I took through the window shown by the arrow:
Continuing with the Arson Bureau's report:
"Investigators observed that the north side garage entry door was kicked open and that a partial shoe print was found on the door. This investigator was unable to determine if the door was forced by firefighters or was forced prior to the fire."[italics and bold mine]
------------------------- From the Arson Bureau's report:
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"Captain ------ of L-36 told Investigator ------ that he found the deceased Herbert Paul Meadows lying in a fetal position, with his head against the west wall in the bathroom near the den. Firefighters dragged the victim to the driveway where he was pronounced dead by paramedics of Squad 40."
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"Engineer ------- of L-36 reported that he observed two tripped electrical breakers when he shut off the electrical power."
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Investigator ------- went to St. Lukes Emergency Room to interview --------(Mrs.) Meadows who is the wife of the deceased. --------(Mrs.) Meadows was transported by H.F.D. ambulance after the fire. -------(Mrs.) Meadows was treated for smoke inhalation and had been medicated by the hospital but she was able to relate details of the fire.
(Mrs.) Meadows told investigators that she and her husband Herbert watched a late night T.V. show and then she had went to bed while her husband Herbert had went into the den to work on the computer.
Mrs. Meadows stated that she was in bed about 10 minutes as was not asleep when she heard a 'noise or crash'. Mrs. Meadows said the sound 'was like something going through a window'. These sounds came from the other side of the house where her husband was working. This sound was followed by loud screams. (sic)'Was like something going through a window!' She described the sounds made by her husband as 'like I never heard him scream in my life!'
-----(Mrs.) Meadows reported she ran down the hall toward the dining area and was stopped by the thick black smoke in the kitchen area. ----- (Mrs. Meadows) yelled at her husband and asked him if (sic) see needed to call '911'! (Mrs. Meadows) stated that she heard a 'muffled' 'yes!' and then lost contact with Herbert Meadows. (Mrs. Meadows) told investigator that she smelled a 'bar-b-que' type odor like 'when you light a fire with charcoal lighter fluid'. (Mrs. Meadows) attempted to call for help on a phone in the house but she reported the phone was dead. (sic) Meadows went outside in the front yard and yelled for help.
------------------
From notes of the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office:
"Arson inv. reveals no..(crossed out).. flammable fluids"
"The investigators.. (crossed out).. smelled gas at scene"
"Not sure if they are ruling arson or not"
Any thing you say, I will do. Tell me who and where!
It is time!
Sad that 'post' this investigation, what is left, is more questions than answers.
Thanks for following through on this.
Care, if you remember we started to do this about six months ago, and were talked out of it because it appeared that the case was close to being solved.
Let me dig and see if I still have all those addresses we need.
We need those telephone numbers, too, to really make it effective!
How unfortunate.
bump
That's too bad. FR has been known to light fires under beaurocrats on occassion. But have to respect her wishes.
On the night of the fire, Mrs. Chief says that the neighbor never came out of his house, although he lived next door.
He says the reason he didn't come out was because he wasn't home; he was at his girlfriend's house.
The girlfriend verified this was true, but talking to a friend of this girlfriend, I learned that the girlfriend is scared to death of this guy.
As far as I was ever able to determine, this was the only witness as to where this neighbor was on the night of the fire.
This is the same neighbor who tried to kill his landlord who came into his yard to see about his house after the neighbor was two months behind in his rent.
I personally went to the courtroom with the old man who was nearly killed. This old man is 72, I believe. The neighbor crushed his windpipe and he had to go to the emergency room.
A liberal judge that day let the neighbor walk.
Talking to the attorney for the landlord I learned that this neighbor lives on a pension for his service in the military, although he doesn't have any apparent injuries.
She told me that she had tried to inquire about the pension from the guardian of the pension, another attorney, but that the file was missing.
When she asked the other attorney about the missing file, he refused to talk about it.
This is the same neighbor who a witness told me had poured gasoline on another man but his lighter wouldn't light.
When he went to get a match, the victim ran away.
Yes, this neighbor has a lot of mystery surrounding him.
There are people doing things who don't think it will serve any purpose to speculate or burn their sources on a public forum.
For those who care, I worry about COB1's health, given the number of hours he worries about this matter. I'm sure he could use any prayers you have to spare! ;-)
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