Human remains have been found in the debris of a burned Midway home belonging to two Baxter County residents who have been missing since the house was set ablaze Saturday, the sheriff's office said.
The remains were found Tuesday afternoon while officials searched through the debris of the house in what is now being considered a homicide, according to a release from the Baxter County sheriff's office. The remains were removed and sent to the state medical examiner in Little Rock for analysis and identification.
The release does not specify how many sets of remains were found.
Donald Lee Rice, 75, and his wife, Ladonna J. Rice, 71, have been unaccounted for since a passer-by saw their two-story log cabin in flames about 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
The fire was so intense that the two stories collapsed into the basement, slowing fire inspectors' investigation into the cause of the blaze, Sheriff John Montgomery told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Monday.
A passer-by spotted the Rice home at 447 Baxter County Road 508 ablaze and reported it to an Arkansas State Police trooper he saw on the road. There was one vehicle in the home's garage, but a neighbor reported the couple's 2015 GMC Sierra pickup missing.
Police also found their dog in the yard. Montgomery said the dog has cancer, and neighbors told investigators the couple would not leave the dog alone.
Deputies found the truck on Baxter County Road 1 on Sunday morning. It also was burned, Montgomery said. Authorities were able to identify the truck using a vehicle identification number taken from the truck's frame. The truck was located about 10 miles from the Rices' home.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's anonymous tip-line at (870) 424-4636 or the Arkansas State Police at (870) 741-2140.
Metro on 11/11/2015