UPDATE: Victims in Watson Community House Fire Identified

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala.—- The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department has identified 68 year old Joe Yates and his 60 year old wife June as the couple found in their burning home early Wednesday.

Neighbor Dale Justice called 911 after he saw the towering flames around 4:00 a.m.

“I jumped up and Iooked out here and I could see the whole back of the house engulfed in flames.  I’m talking about you couldn’t have got back in there period,“ Justice recalled.

Investigators say the couple both suffered gunshot wounds there was a gun found laying next to Joe Yates’ body.

Those factors are causing the Sheriff’s Department to suspect the deaths are possibly the result of a murder suicide.

“That’s hard to believe.  Really hard to believe.  I’m sure they know what they’re doing and know more about it than I do but he never came on as a guy that would be a suicide,“ Justice said.

Family members say Joe Yates was an outdoorsman who ran an insulation business.

He’s survived by three children, six grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren.

The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.