A 46-year-old Pennsylvania man, Brian Shelleby, is accused of setting his estranged wife’s house on fire, causing the death of their 19-year-old daughter. Allegedly, Shelleby did so after his wife refused to “let him stay.”
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According to a release issued by the Allegheny County Police Department (ACPD), the incident occurred on Sunday, September 14. At 9:54 a.m., the ACPD was notified of a fire at a Corbett Drive residence.
First responders found that a 19-year-old female had been killed by the fire. Another victim, an adult woman, was injured and transported to a local hospital.
A preliminary investigation showed that the fire had been intentionally set by a male suspect, the ACPD said. The man was later identified as Brian Shelleby, who was arrested and charged with criminal homicide, aggravated arson, and causing or risking catastrophe.
The fatal victim was the man’s daughter, Lakyn, while the injured victim was his wife.
Fatal House Fire
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law & Crime, the incident stemmed from an argument between Shelleby and his wife. The document detailed that the 46-year-old man was told he couldn’t stay in the family home because he and his wife were separated.
At one point, Shelleby allegedly told his wife that he was going to “burn the house down.” He is accused of then grabbing a five-gallon gas can and pouring it all over the house floors.
The woman managed to escape the home, but she heard an explosion as she escaped. Lakyn, her daughter, as mentioned above, died, despite her mother screaming for her to escape.
In a post-Miranda interview, Brian Shelleby allegedly admitted to setting the house on fire. At the time, he said he was trying to convince his wife to “let him stay.” He decided to set the house on fire when he was told he couldn’t, the affidavit said.
A neighbor spoke with WPXI and said that the fire engulfed the house completely in just 13 seconds.
“I ran outside and saw the windows were all blown out. A gas tank was sitting in the middle of the street,” neighbor Patrick Funwela said.
Funwela also recalled how, despite their best efforts, they couldn’t help Lakyn out of the fire.