As the City of Columbia Police and Fire Departments, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) continue to investigate the cause and origin of a Carver Street fire that occurred earlier this week, the Richland County Coroner’s Office has determined that the incident did not cause the death of a female found inside the home.
According to Richland County Coroner Gary Watts and pending additional testing, it appears that 68-year-old Francena Willingham likely died of natural causes.
Based on an autopsy that was performed by the Richland County Coroner’s Office on June 19, 2018, there were no signs of foul play, or indications that the fire caused Willingham’s death. It appears that Willingham was deceased at least 24 – 48 hours before the fire was reported.
Initially, CFD crews responded to 3417 Carver Street shortly after 10:30 p.m. on June 18, 2018 for a structure fire. As firefighters were extinguishing the fire, crews found Willingham’s body and called for CPD officers to arrive on scene to assist.
Citizens with information about the fire are encouraged to contact Crimestoppers in any ways:
CALL toll-free, 888-CRIME-SC.
LOG onto: www.midlandscrimestoppers.com, and click on the red “Submit a tip” tab.
DOWNLOAD the new P3 Tips App for Apple or Android devices.