Three Family Members Killed In Granville Fire
Posted December 16, 2004 5:05 a.m. EST
GRANVILLE COUNTY, N.C. — Members of three generations in one family are dead after a fire in Granville County.
The fire occurred on Shep Royster Road, northwest of Oxford. A neighbor alerted family members about the fire around 2 a.m. Thursday. By that time, the home was completely in flames.
Victor Smith, 41, died in the fire along with his daughter, 19-year-old Nellie Battle and her 13-month-old son, Shad Taylor.
"I think it is the matter of fact that there are three gone at one time is the hurting part," said Shirley Waller, a relative of the family.
The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the mobile home fire. Authorities believe a faulty wood stove or oil heater may have caused it.