HENRYETTA, Okla. — A house fire in Henryetta where seven people died in a murder-suicide is being investigated as a possible arson, multiple first responder agencies told 2 News on Dec. 10.
Fire officials said a passerby saw the fire around 5:30 a.m. and reported it to authorities.
Slide the bar to see before and after the fire at the house:
The house is where Jesse McFadden killed six people, including five teenagers, before taking his own life.
Local News
Why was Jesse McFadden a free man? Multiple sources agree widespread failure
The house is now vacant, and significant damage was done to the roof because of the fire. The officials said they believe renovation work was being done to the house recently.
The Okmulgee County Sheriff's Office said the State Fire Marshal's Office suspects the fire was an act of arson. However, OCSO said they don't have any leads and are interviewing people in the area.
The State Fire Marshal's Office confirmed info 2 News brought up late on Dec. 10 that the house on Holly Road is also at the crux of a divorce dispute in court between the married couple that owns the property. The couple will be interviewed as part of the investigation.
"That house was a house of horror, a house of hell," nearby neighbor Justin Webster told 2 News. Webster is also the father of Ivy Webster, one of the five teens killed by McFadden on May 1, 2023.
"That's a house. It was the presence that lived in the house that was more evil," Webster added. "I just feel one of these times that if we have to keep reliving it we will finally get answers and we'll get the justice that we deserve."
Webster refers to the effort to pass Knights Law, which passed in the Oklahoma State House in March but stalled in the Senate.
It would ensure anyone convicted of a child sex crime serves their entire prison sentence. McFadden had only served seven of his 20 years at the time of the murders.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- SUBSCRIBE on YouTube
