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Home > Post > Post 13 > Post 13 News Release > 2009 News Releases > News Release

Leslie County Residential Fire and Death Investigation

Date of News Release: 04/30/2009

(Hazard, Ky.) -- On 04/30/09 at approximately 10:00 am Kentucky State Police in Hazard received a call from the Leslie County Emergency Operations Center requesting assistance on a residential fire in the Helton Community of Leslie County.

Preliminary investigation indicates that Robert F. Egan age 68 of New Tazewell Tennessee went to the residence of Melvin Helton and had a conversation outside the home with Patricia Brock age 36 also residing at Helton, Ky. A brief conversation occurred between Mr. Egan and Ms. Brock and Egan left the area and returned a short time later. When Egan returned he was armed with a hand gun and two containers of gasoline. Mr. Egan entered the residence and poured gasoline on Mr. Helton and Ms. Brock and ordered them into a bedroom at gunpoint. Both Brock and Helton were able to escape the home, but Ms. Brock was caught by Mr. Egan and set on fire outside the residence.

Robert Egan went back into the residence and set fire to the house. After the fire was extinguished Egan was found inside the residence and pronounced deceased at the scene by the Leslie County Coroners Office. Patricia Brock was airlifted to Holsten Valley Hospital in Tennessee and later transferred to Joseph Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia. The body of Robert Egan has been sent to the State Medical Examiners Office in Frankfort for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. The investigation is continuing by Det. Gary Sandlin.

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