ELSMERE, Ky.- Smoke inhalation is considered the most likely cause of death for a mobile home resident in Elsmere who was found dead after an early morning fire in his
Eagle Drive home.
Kenneth Dean Croy, 41, known to neighbors and friends as "Dean", was found dead by Elsmere firefighters after they put out a fire at his single-wide mobile home trailer.
Firefighters were still on the scene Thursday afternoon completing their investigation as well as putting out some smoldering hot spots still burning in the back of the mobile home.
Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders was also on the scene speaking with investigators. He did not speak to reporters before leaving the large Allendale mobile home community.
Elsmere police said earlier in the day that they may be treating Croy's death as a homicide, but found other evidence that pointed them in another direction. What that evidence is has not been released.
Firefighters were called to the burning mobile home just after 4 a.m. by neighbors who spotted flames in the back of the trailer. Neighbors tried to get Croy and anyone else in the home out to safety. When the fire appeared to be burning too fast for them to enter, they called police; according to Kelly Stacey, a neighbor, who lives across Eagle Drive from Croy.
Neighbors say Croy was married with a 2-year-old son. His wife and son were not home when the fire broke out. Croy's 7-year-old German Shepard, Waygo, was able to escape.
Stacey, who says she works with dogs, has taken Waygo in to her home until Croy's family can have some time to figure out what to do.
Stacey and others say that Croy was a good and giving neighbor who often loaned out lawn mowers and other items.
Other neighbors say Croy was suffering from domestic problems and was seen drinking at his home Wednesday night before the fire.
The fire remains under investigation.
