"Cause of Hamilton triple fatal fire remains undetermined"

A case that remains unexplained will continue to be treated as serious is how Hamilton Police describe the investigation into a house fire last November that claimed the lives of three young people.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ross Patterson of the Hamilton CIB said forensic results from the Collingwood Street villa failed to advance the investigation as to the exact cause of the blaze.

"Tragically, the fire on 15 November claimed the lives of 23-year-old Toni Maree Johnston, 19-year-old Jake Lindsey Hayes and 17-year-old Connor James Swetman.

"As a result of the fire an examination of the scene was conducted and a number of exhibits were removed for forensic examination.

To date the cause of the fire remains undetermined but we are continuing our investigation and we will be reviewing our exhibits to determine if any further analysis is required."

Mr Patterson said though Police are not seeking any particular person in relation to the fire at this time, the case remains open.

"The fire remains unexplained; to that end the matter is still being treated as a serious one and will continue to be so until such time as information is at hand to provide confirmation on what caused it to start.
"The families of the trio who lost their lives had been kept informed throughout the investigation and they are dealing with their loss as best as they can.

Those involved in the investigation remain committed to providing those families with the answers about what occurred that they deserve."

End

© Scoop Media