Authorities in Georgia have identified the two people who died in a house fire Thursday as the mother and brother of a 16-year-old who has been arrested for arson and murder in the case.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab identified the victims as Tasha Vandiver, 46, and Gerald Walton, 21, according to Monroe County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Anna Lewis.
Candace Walton, 16, was charged as an adult in their deaths, authorities told CNN.
It is unclear if Walton has an attorney at this time.
Tasha Vandiver is Walton’s mother and Gerald Walton is her brother, said Lewis.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residential fire Thursday and found a house fully engulfed in flames.
The bodies were found after the fire was extinguished, and investigators later discovered that a car belonging to the homeowner was missing, Lewis said.
The next day Walton was stopped in McCracken County, Kentucky, driving the stolen vehicle, Lewis said.
During a Monday court hearing, Walton refused extradition to Georgia from Kentucky. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said it is working on paperwork to apply for a governor’s warrant to bring her back into the state.
