QUILCENE — The couple whose charred bodies were discovered inside their burned home last week were dead before the fire started, investigators said Monday.
And the Wednesday night fire that destroyed the house of Patrick and Janice Yarr at 780 Boulton Farm Road near Quilcene appeared to be arson, Sheriff Tony Hernandez said.
Hernandez said there was no history of domestic problems between the victims.
Neither detectives nor the King County Medical Examiner’s Office — summoned because the Yarrs’ bodies were so badly burned — would say exactly how the couple died.
Official announcement that the victims were Patrick Yarr, 60, and Janice Kay Yarr, 57, was made by the Sheriff’s Office on Monday.
Hernandez said their identities were confirmed over the weekend.
The medical examiner also found that the deaths were not the result of the fire or its aftermath, he said.
Foul play investigated
Hernandez, who was sworn in as sheriff Monday morning, confirmed that his office is investigating the possibility of foul play.
“We are still collecting forensic evidence, interviewing witnesses and working with the FBI,” he said.
“Other than that, we’re not going to release any information at this time.”
Hernandez said when any death takes place, the Sheriff’s Office treats the location as a crime scene.
“The investigation started from the very first day,” he said.
The Sheriff’s Office is being assisted in the investigation by the Washington State Patrol, FBI and its Behavioral Science Unit, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson County Arson Investigation Task Force.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is monitoring the investigation.
A statement from the Sheriff’s Office said “a number” of individuals are being interviewed, and additional physical evidence is being gathered and analyzed by investigators.
Passer-by sees fire
Fire crews were called out to the fire at 8:21 p.m. on Wednesday after the blaze was reported by a passer-by who called 9-1-1.
“At the time of the call, flames could be seen coming from the sides and top of the main floor of the daylight basement structure,” a report by the Quilcene fire department said on Thursday.
Willie Knoepfle, incident commander, said the south half of the house was engulfed when firefighters arrived.
“We were immediately put into a defensive mode to knock the flames down before we could get into the structure,” he said.
Quilcene fire officials said the blaze was primarily located on the main floor of the house.
Hernandez is asking anyone who has information about the fire to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 360-385-3831.
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Jefferson County reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
Yarrs to be memorialized
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Pat and Janice Kay Yarr, who were found dead in their burned house near Quilcene last week, will be held next month at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.
The members of the longtime Jefferson County family will be remembered on April 4 at 1 p.m. in the Oscar Erickson building at the fairgrounds, 4907 Landes St., Port Townsend.
A potluck reception will follow in the Erickson building.
Memorial contributions in their memory are suggested to the Washington Contract Loggers Association Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 2168, Olympia, WA 98507-2168.
James Patrick Michael “Pat” Yarr was born in Port Townsend on Sept. 11, 1948, to James Cornelius and Evelyn Hope (Phillips) Yarr.
Janice Kay Yarr was born March 11, 1952, to John Graham and Alice Viola (Pennington) Boulton.
Additional information is on the Kosec Funeral Home Web site, www.kosecfuneralhome.com.
