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LaGrange Police believe the house fire on Fendig Street on Saturday night was intentionally set to cover up a double murder.

Firefighters responded to a house fire at 102 Fendig Street on Feb. 8 around 11:30 p.m. After the blaze was extinguished, two bodies were discovered inside the home.

The victims, Jabreka Williams, 38, and Roderick Kennedy, 40, were later determined to have been shot.

Police have identified a suspect in the case but he has not been publicly identified as he has yet to be charged.

According to LaGrange Police Chief Garrett Fiveash, the suspect and the female victim are believed to have been in an on-again-off-again relationship over some time. 

“There was an ongoing relationship, whether it was pressure or whether she was a willing participant is unknown,” Fiveash said. “Of course, pressure is always there in these situations.”

Fiveash said the suspect had used the Fendig Street address as his residence in other unrelated police encounters. 

“We don’t know what the relationship between her and the other gentlemen there was exactly. He was there, and there were some accusations made, and that’s when violence took place,” Fiveash said.

He’s still just a suspect at this point. But after both murders were committed an attempt was made to set the house on fire, presumably to cover the crimes, Fiveash said.

Police say the suspect was initially cooperative, but he has since retained an attorney.