BALTIMORE — Tuesday marked one year since three Baltimore City firefighters died in the line of duty while battling a blaze inside a vacant home.
Although a 300-plus page investigative report was critical of the fire department's handling of the incident, the criminal aspect of the investigation remains ongoing.
The deaths of Paul Butrim, Kenny Lacayo and Kelsey Sadler were later ruled homicides.
Over the summer the ATF referred their findings to the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office, but little information has been revealed since.
So far investigators have only released a 40 second video clip that shows a person near the scene of the fire the night before.
Last February a $100,000 reward was offered for information leading to that person's identity, however there has been no update on whether or not that individual was ever identified, or if he's still even considered a suspect or person of interest.
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Ivan Bates was recently sworn in as Baltimore City's new State's Attorney.
In a statement he said that his predecessor had received three briefings and ample time to review the case but failed to act.
Bates vowed to "review all evidence" in order to "make an appropriate charging determination based on the facts and the law."
"We are mindful that the families of the fallen firefighters, their colleagues, and residents all have lingering questions regarding this tragic event," said Bates. "However, we owe it to these fallen heroes and the residents of Baltimore to make the appropriate considerations based on evidence and sound legal analysis. It is an unfortunate and tragic incident that should have been addressed long before now, but we are committed to moving forward on this matter with resolve to accomplish justice in this case.”
Back in December the families of the fallen firefighters announced their intention to file a multi-million dollar wrongful death lawsuit against the City and State of Maryland, stating the fire "could have and should have been prevented."
