HOLLISTER, N.C. – What should have been a birthday celebration turned into a day of mourning for one family in Halifax County.
Three men are dead after a fire ripped through their home. Deputies say when they arrived at 1136 Arcola Drive around 1:45 Sunday morning the home was already a total loss.
28-year-old Paul Lynch should have been celebrating his son’s birthday Sunday. Instead, his life was cut short. His father, James Richardson and uncle, Steven Richardson also died in the blaze.
"They were always smiling. If you feel like you can’t laugh, they always made you laugh. That's the kind of people they were,” said Steven Richardson’s cousin, Cheryl Richardson.
The only survivor was Paul’s cousin, Joe Richardson. He was too upset to talk to us on camera but told me he left the house around 11pm Saturday. At that time, he says all three of the men were asleep. Not much more than an hour later he got a call from a neighbor that his house was on fire.
Friends and family say they’re all still in shock.
"I still at times don't believe it. I'm standing here looking at it but I still don't believe it,” said Cheryl Richardson.
"Like Joe said, you don't want to just go to your house where you grew up at and find your dad like that. It kind of just hurts. It's real tough,” said family friend, Gregory Elam.
Although the house is a total loss, Richardson managed to salvage several family pictures and a birth certificate. He continues to search for a suitcase containing his father’s army memorabilia.
Now homeless, he says he’ll get by with the help of his family. They say they’ll never leave his side.
"Oh we'll make it through we get together and associate with each other everyday. We'll get by. We'll make it,” said Cheryl Richardson.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement