Deaths of mother and child in Taylor fire now ruled ‘accidental'

Taylor Police Chief Henry Fluck says Taylor firefighters were on their way to a medical call Thursday afternoon when they noticed smoke coming from inside this house on Brewers Place.

They forced entry to investigate. “They actually had to extinguish a fire in the master bedroom and that’s where they found the two deceased,” Fluck said.

The Chief says Amy Baylor and her 8-month old daughter Aleigha Seeley had burns on their bodies. Neighbors who wouldn’t go on camera tell FOX 7 Amy was a nurse.

“There are three people that lived at the residence, her and her two children. The 3-year-old boy was with the father at the time and not at home,” Fluck said.

When we spoke with neighbor Marsha Pundsack the deaths were still being considered suspicious by police. Something she said was hard to hear.

“You don’t like to see it in your neighborhood. I mean you hear about things going on all over but it’s different when it’s in your neighborhood,” she said.

Friday afternoon the Taylor Police Department received an update from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office so we went back to Police headquarters to interview Chief Fluck again. “The preliminary result of the autopsy is that it is an accidental death pending the toxicology,” Fluck said.

Fluck says there’s no longer any suspicion of foul play. But they’re continuing to investigate.

“The indications would be the fire contributed to the death, yes,” Fluck said. “This is a terrible tragedy that’s happened to this family and of course the police department gives their sincere and deepest condolences to the family friends of Amy Baylor and little Aleigha.”

Chief Fluck says what started the fire in the first place is still being investigated.

The Texas Rangers are also investigating.