Police name murder suspect and two victims killed in tragic Kirton fire

Lincolnshire Police have released the names of the three people who died in a fire in Kirton on New Year’s Day.

They are:

• Jay Edmunds, aged 27, of Kirton
• Billy Hicks, aged 24, of Wyberton
• Ashley Martin, aged 32, of Luton

Officers confirmed Ashley Martin would be treated as a suspect in relation to the deaths.

Emergency services had been called to a detached house on Peartree Road just before 3am.

Given the ferocity of the fire, formal identification and post-mortems took several days to be completed.

Photo: BBC News Hub

Officers from the East Midlands Specialist Operations Unit are carrying out a thorough investigation and will pass their findings to the coroner.

The dates for inquest openings have yet to be set.

‘Beautiful, loving daughter’

The family of Jay Edmunds have released a tribute to her.

“Jay was a vibrant, funny, beautiful, loving daughter & sister.

“We are shocked & horrified by the events that have taken Jay from us. Our hearts are broken.

“Thank you to all our family, friends and local community for their well wishes and support at this devastating time.

“We would also like to thank to all emergency services that have been involved.”

The life and soul of the party

Tributes have poured in for Billy Hicks, who is believed to be one of the people who died in the Kirton fire. Photo: Facebook

A tribute has also been released by the family of Billy Hicks.

“Billy had a wonderful smile and would always be the life and soul of the party.

“He was a very caring and loving person with a fantastic sense of humour.

“Our hearts are broken our family is devastated for him to be taken away from us in such a tragic way.

“We would like to thank all those involved.”

Investigation continues

Detective Chief Inspector Karl Whiffen from Lincolnshire Police said: “Given the damage caused to the house by the fire, this has been a complex incident to deal with.

“We can confirm that Ashley Martin would be treated as a suspect in the deaths of Jay Edmunds and Billy Hicks.

“We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

“A file will be passed to the coroner.

“However, it is important to note that a coroner’s role is not to apportion guilt or to attribute blame.

“They will determine essential facts about how each person died.

“Since this tragic event Family Liaison Officers have worked with relatives of all three people who died. During this time, families have read some inaccurate reports in media which they have found deeply upsetting.

“We will be making no further comment until the conclusion of all three inquests.”