BUCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. -- A mother, father, and their 10-year-old son were found dead in the same bedroom early Monday morning, according to family members gathered outside the Buckingham County home.
Emergency crews initially responded to a fire at the home, along the 20300 block of James Anderson Highway, at 4:54 a.m., according to Virginia State Police.
"It looked like the whole thing was just in flames,” said neighbor Jerry Witt. "I said I hope nobody [was] in it because you couldn’t get to them if it was.”
Witt said he had gotten up around 5 a.m., when he heard a loud boom that sounded like a car door or hood slamming closed.
“And I asked my wife if it was her and she said, ‘No, I thought it was you that did something.’ And went in the living room and that’s when I seen the house up in flames,” added Witt.
While police have not yet released the identities of the victims, family at the scene identified the deceased as Earl Booker, 57, Colette Booker, 46, and Nayquarius Booker, 10, a fifth grade student at Buckingham County Elementary School.
Earl Booker and his son Nayquarius Booker
Colette Booker
The bodies were taken to the Office Of The Chief Medical Examiner where a cause of death would be determined.
"Once fire crews were able to extinguish the fire and make entry into the residence, the remains of three individuals were located inside," Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller said. "The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation at this time."
Both the Buckingham County Sheriff's Office and Virginia State Police are investigating the fire.
Police said they have not determined whether the fire was accidental or suspicious in nature,.
Earl Booker's daughter, 34-year-old Jessica Tucker, said she last spoke with her father Sunday night and that her 10-year-old half-brother had spent the weekend with her and her husband.
Tucker added this was the second recent tragedy her family has suffered, and described the family as “all good people” adding that her father was the type of person who would give you anything you needed no questions asked.
Her 15-year-old half-brother, Deondre Booker, died in a car crash just last month, Tucker said. She added her father had been dealing with so much grief from the death of Deondre that he left his previous job and was slated to start a new one on Monday.
According to Tucker, a black car outside of the family’s house was bought by her father with the intention of fixing it up and giving it to Deondre when he got his driver’s license. Even after the 15-year-old’s death, her father was still going to fix up the car as a way of honoring his son.
A GoFundMe page has been established to help the Booker family.
This is a developing story. Witnesses can send news tips here.
