Cops ID body found in burned-out Georgia home after 911 call

Authorities have identified a man found dead inside a burned-out house in Middle Georgia last week as the home’s owner.

Monroe County deputies responded to a home in Juliette about 10:30 p.m. Jan. 5 after receiving a panicked 911 call from a man who said his house was on fire and that “someone was trying to harm him,” authorities said.

When they arrived at the house along Faith Court, emergency crews noticed the home was completely dark and that it appeared to be abandoned. The front door was bolted and nailed shut, and there were cars with graffiti on them sitting outside, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Anna Lewis said.

“They weren’t really sure if there was anybody in there,” she said.

After receiving no response, deputies made their way to the back of the home and saw black smoke coming from inside. They managed to enter the burning house through a back door and rescue a dog, but could only make it about 3 feet inside because of the heavy smoke, Lewis said.

Fire crews had the blaze under control by about 11:15 p.m., but it wasn’t safe to enter the destroyed home until the following morning, authorities said. When investigators finally made it inside about 9:30 a.m., they discovered a man’s body buried under heavy debris in the basement. He was identified Friday morning as John Brannen Stafford, the home’s owner.

Investigators are still awaiting the autopsy results to determine an exact cause of death and if foul play was involved, Lewis said. No additional details have been released and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.