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EDGAR COUNTY, Ill. (WAND)-  The Edgar County Coroner has released additional information on the October 1, 2022, Pairs, IL apartment house fire that killed two residents. 

According to Coroner Scott Barrett, firefighters located the body of Tammi S. Keefer, 52, in her upstairs apartment, as well as the body of Bobby J. Turner, 72, in his downstairs apartment while they were working to put out the fire. 

Autopsies for both Keefer and Turner were conducted on October 3, 2022,  in Champaign, Illinois, by Forensic Pathologist Dr. Shiping Bao.

The results of the autopsy on Tammi Keefer showed that her cause of death was due to smoke inhalation and her manner of death was ruled an accident.

According to the Coroner, Keefer was also the 911 caller and went unresponsive while on the call with dispatch.

The results of the autopsy and toxicology testing of Bobby Turner showed he died before the fire began, and his cause of death was atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The manner of Turner's death was declared natural.

The Coroner also reports the autopsy found that Turner had no signs of blunt or sharp trauma to his body. He had no thermal damage or soot inside his larynx, trachea, or bronchi. His toxicology results showed no sign of alcohol or drugs and a normal saturation of Carboxyhemoglobin for a heavy smoker, as he was described by family and friends.

Turner’s girlfriend told authorities that on the morning of the fire she awoke in the bedroom to her dog barking. She stated she got up and walked towards the living room where Turner slept on a couch. 

Turner's girlfriend also reported that she was unable to get to him and that he was unresponsive to her and the fire that was near him.

Investigations into the fire determined the origin of the fire to be near the east side wall of the first-floor apartment, on or near the couch that Turner had been on.

Authorities said the probable source of the fire was smoking materials.

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