Man pulled from apartment fire may have died from natural causes

June 28, 2007 07:08 pm

— Crossville Police aren't ready to make a ruling as they wait for the results of an autopsy, but investigators believe a man pulled from the scene of an apartment fire may actually have died from natural causes prior to the blaze.
The body of Noah Frank Hinds, 55, Apt. 61, Beverly Hills Apts., was pulled from his smoke-filled apartment last Sunday around 10:15 a.m. after police and fire personnel responded to an emergency call at the complex located off Wayne Ave., according to Ptl. Gary Green's report.
Green wrote in his report that he responded to the call and arrived to find the victim already deceased, lying in his bed in a room that had been on fire. Fire officials arrived and quickly extinguished the blaze.
An ex-wife told police she had talked to Hinds around 2 p.m. the day before and that he had been drinking but was apparently in a good mood. She arrived to cook him breakfast and heard a smoke detector sounding so she made entry and found him lying in bed.
Det. Gene Hall was called to the scene to assist in the investigation. It was noted that the victim did have a history of heart trouble. Cause of the fire is also under investigation.