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March 13, 2013

Fire victims died of smoke inhalation

Preliminary autopsy report released on Knox County fire

By Jeff Noble The Times-Tribune

GRAY — Smoke inhalation was the cause of death for the seven people who were killed in last Saturday’s fire in Knox County.

The preliminary autopsy report was released Tuesday morning by Knox County Coroner Mike Blevins to detectives at Kentucky State Police in Harlan.

In the report, the cause of death for the two adults and five children inside the house was from smoke inhalation. The report also showed that no foul play was involved, and that the arson detective said that no foul play was suspected.

Det. Josh Bunch of the State Police post in Harlan continues to investigate the cause of the fire. KSP-Harlan Public Affairs Officer Tpr. Shane Jacobs said Tuesday that arson is not suspected.

The fire happened last Saturday morning after 9 a.m. at a house a family of five were living in at the corner of Sam Parker Road and Shady Brook Lane in the Gray community of Knox County.

Seven people perished in the fire, which officials say started in the back bedroom of the house. They were all from Gray.

Those who died were the family who was renting the house — Jesse Disney, 27; his fiancé Nina Asher, 22, and her three children — 3-year-old William Gray Jr., 2-year-old Camden Gray, and 8-month-old Abigail Gray. Asher was 11 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. Two children who were friends of the family and who were spending the night with them also died. They were Paiten Cox and Briel Cox. Both were 2 years old.

Funeral arrangements for the Cox sisters, and for Asher and her children are now complete.

The funeral for Briel and Paiten will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home on Master Street in Corbin. Burial will follow at the Brafford Cemetery in Gray.

Visitation for the Cox girls will also take place at Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home. It will be Wednesday from 6-9 p.m., and on Thursday from noon until the time of the funeral at 2 p.m.

Joint funeral services for Asher and her three children will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Antioch Baptist Church on North KY 11 in Woollum. Burial will follow in the Asher Cemetery at Woollum.

Visitation for the family will be Friday from 1-10 p.m., also at the church. Knox Funeral Home in Barbourville is in charge of arrangements.

The funeral for Jesse Disney will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Hart Funeral Home Chapel at 1011 Master Street in Corbin. Burial will follow at the Disney Family Cemetery.

His visitation is Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. also at the funeral home chapel.

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