DALTON, Ga. — The Dalton Police Department is investigating a suspected homicide and arson after firefighters discovered a woman dead inside a burning home early Saturday morning on Grimes Street, setting off a multi-state investigation that ended with the death of a person of interest following a police chase in Kentucky.
The Dalton Fire Department responded to a residential fire at 313 S. Grimes Street at approximately 5:47 a.m. on Saturday. While searching the structure, firefighters found the badly burned body of a woman inside the home. Due to the suspicious nature of the scene, the Dalton Police Department, the Whitfield County Coroner’s Office, and the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office were immediately notified and responded to assist with the investigation.
Police secured the scene and began treating the case as both a homicide and arson. Authorities say a positive identification of the victim will not be possible until an examination is completed by the medical examiner. Although investigators believe they know the victim’s identity, her name is being withheld pending confirmation and notification of next of kin.
As the investigation unfolded, police received a phone call from a woman who reported that her brother had told her he killed his girlfriend at the Grimes Street residence. The caller requested a welfare check, but officers had already identified the Indiana man as a person of interest in the case.
Investigators also determined that the victim’s vehicle was missing from the scene. The vehicle was entered into a national database as stolen. At approximately 9:30 a.m., Dalton police were notified that the Kentucky State Patrol had located the vehicle south of Lexington and initiated a pursuit. Authorities say the driver fled from troopers, crashed the vehicle, and later died from injuries sustained in the crash.
The identity of the individual who died in the crash has not yet been positively confirmed. Officials say his name will be released once identification is complete and next of kin have been notified.
Meanwhile, the investigation at the Grimes Street residence remains active. The Dalton Police Department’s Crime Scene Unit delayed entry into the home due to toxic fumes caused by the fire. Investigators were able to begin processing the scene shortly after noon on Saturday once conditions were deemed safe.
Police stress that this is an ongoing investigation and that additional details will be released as they become available.
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