The Knoxville Fire Department received an emergency call about a domestic situation in a West Knoxville condo. When emergency services arrived, they were able to put out the fire. However, two residents were found dead on the scene.
A Call About a Domestic Situation
Around 1:10 a.m., the Knoxville Fire Department (KFD) received a call from Meadow Condominiums in the 7900 block of Gleason Drive. It was about a domestic situation where one person was threatening to set the residence on fire. The firefighters arrived at the scene and quickly put out the fire.
According to a news release by the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) spokesperson Scott Erland on Monday, the officers responded to a domestic situation at the condo. Smoke was coming out of the apartment’s upper floor. Eventually, the KFD firefighters could access the residence through a window on the second floor, assisted by KPD officers. Once the fire was out, they found an adult man and an adult woman in the upstairs bedroom. Both were dead.
Under Investigation
The two residents were identified as Richard Goebel, 56, and Betty Goldston, 53. According to the preliminary findings of the ongoing investigation, it is believed that the deceased male intentionally set the fire.
Investigators believe the incident is a murder-suicide domestic situation. However, an official determination has yet to be made about the cause of death for both residents. Both the fire and the two deaths are being investigated.
