In the quiet town of Seymour, Connecticut, a tragedy unfolded on the morning of March 30, 2016, ending the life of 67-year-old Walter Deklyn. First responders were called to a fire at his Bungay Road home shortly after 7 a.m. and were met with a scene of chaos and limited manpower, with only a handful of firefighters initially available to battle the blaze that was deliberately set with combustible materials at opposite ends of the house.
Inside the burning home, just beyond the front door, firefighters discovered Walter Deklyn with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead. The initial circumstances of his death, a gunshot wound amidst a raging fire, raised immediate questions and prompted a thorough investigation by authorities.
The investigation into the events of that morning ultimately concluded that Walter Deklyn, a man described as a reclusive widower, had taken his own life. The Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was suicide. The fire that consumed his home was also deemed to have been intentionally set by Deklyn himself. In the end, there were no arrests made or suspects sought, as the official investigation determined that Deklyn's death was a result of his own actions.
