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| Photo by Michael Lawson |
LATEST UPDATE: Yesterday's Fatal Church Fire Officially Linked To Ocean City Man
While the ongoing investigation continues into yesterday's fire, the latest news of relevance is that a 56-year-old Ocean City man, named John Raymond Sterner, has been linked to the blaze at the rectory of the St. Paul's by the Sea Episcopal Church. A press release from the Ocean City Fire Department reports, "The initial investigation determined that the fire originated in the area of the ground floor pantry and porch space of the Shepherd’s Crook facility, which is located in the rectory building. The exact cause of the fire is still actively under investigation, however; preliminary findings by investigators indicate that John Raymond Sterner, 56, of Ocean City, entered the structure with a significant amount of fire on and about his person, quickly spreading the fire to the structure.
Investigators suspect an accelerant was involved in the quick spread of the fire, which claimed the life of Sterner. Sterner was deceased inside of the building upon arrival of the Fire Department."
The fire also claimed the life of beloved St. Paul's Rev. David Dingwall. A female, who Sterner came into physical contact with reportedly inside the rectory, is reportedly still being treated for her injuries at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
This story becomes more surreal daily.
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