Couple was strangled before Atlanta home fire, police say

A married couple found dead inside a burning northwest Atlanta home were strangled, police said at a press conference.

“The two deaths in the house fire this morning on Harvel Drive have been ruled a homicide by (the Medical Examiner’s) office,” Officer Stephanie Brown said in an emailed statement. “APD Homicide will now take lead in investigation.”

Officials were dispatched to the scene in the 2400 block of Harvel Drive just before 4 a.m. Tuesday. They arrived within four minutes, not knowing if anyone was still inside, Atlanta fire Chief Randall Slaughter told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Firefighters put out the blaze and discovered the man, 67, in the hallway and the woman, 65, in the bedroom, according to Slaughter. Both were badly burned.

“They were covered in heavy debris,” he said. “So it took us awhile to uncover the victims.”

Roughly 12 hours later, it was discovered they were strangled.

Crews with Atlanta Fire Rescue are on the scene of an early Tuesday morning fatal fire on Harvel Drive. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

Their names have not been released. A family member told Channel 2 Action News the man and woman were veterans. They had been separated but were reconciling, the news station reported.

No determination has been made on the cause of their deaths or on the cause of the fire. Atlanta police homicide investigators were at the house Tuesday afternoon working alongside fire officials.

Police have not identified any possible suspects or persons of interests.

“More than 50 percent of that structure was damaged,” Atlanta police homicide commander Lt. Carven Tyus said at a press conference. “So right now, we can’t determine if someone forced entry into that house or if it was someone that they let into that house.”

Tyus said investigators are speaking with the couple’s son to gather a timeline on when he last saw them.

Officials remained on the scene most of the day.

Anyone with information is asked to call Atlanta police.