DPD Investigating Homicide, Arson In Early Morning Fire
Published 10:07 pm Saturday, January 10, 2026
After firefighters found a woman dead in a burning house early Saturday morning, the Dalton Police Department is investigating the death as a homicide and arson. During the early hours of the investigation, a person of interest in the death was located by authorities in Kentucky driving the victim’s vehicle. When that individual ran from the Kentucky State Patrol, he crashed his vehicle and died from injuries sustained in the crash.
The Dalton Fire Department was called to the scene of a house fire at 313 S. Grimes Street at 5:47 AM on Saturday morning. Firefighters discovered the badly burned body of the victim inside of the house while searching the structure. Due to the suspicious nature of the death, firefighters called in the Dalton Police Department, Whitfield County Coroner’s Office, and the state fire marshall’s office to assist with the investigation. Police secured the scene and began an investigation.
A positive identification of the victim will not be possible until examination by the medical examiner’s office. However, investigators believe that they know the identity of the victim. Her identity is not being released at this time pending positive identification and next of kin notification.
After police were already at the scene, a woman called police to report that her brother had told her that he had killed his girlfriend at the Grimes Street residence. The caller requested a welfare check on the Grimes Street resident. Police had already identified that individual, who lives in Indiana, as a person of interest in the case.
The victim’s vehicle was missing from the Grimes Street scene when police arrived. The vehicle’s information and license plate were entered into a national database as stolen. At approximately 9:30 am, Dalton investigators were informed that the Kentucky State Patrol had located the victim’s vehicle and were chasing it south of Lexington. That chase ended in a crash that killed the driver. Positive identification of the body in that crash has not yet been made. Release of his identity is pending positive identification and also next of kin notifications.
This case is still under investigation. The Dalton Police Department’s Crime Scene Unit has been waiting for toxic fumes inside of the structure to ventilate before entering the house and inspecting the crime scene. Investigators began their investigation inside of the house shortly after noon.