BILLINGS — Residents at the Meadowlark Trailer Park in Billings are concerned as the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office investigates a weekend house fire death as a homicide.
The fire, which took place early Saturday morning, destroyed one of the homes, with authorities finding a man dead inside.
Linder described the death as suspicious and confirmed that his department was investigating the incident Sunday afternoon.
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Longtime Meadowlark resident Jean Schaff said it was a shock when she saw flames so close to her home.
"The flames were way high in the tree," Schaff said. "That trailer was smoking, and it was a very devastating feeling."
Schaff added that the moment made her nauseous.
"I lost my balance and stuff," Schaff said. "It was horrifying. I felt sick to my stomach."
Another resident, Eric Snodgrass, expressed similar concerns.
“The flames were touching the edge of that tree," Snodgrass said. "If it catches that tree, the whole neighborhood could go down. His house was burning up really bad."
Linder confirmed that a 32-year-old suspect, Justin Hosey, was arrested in Hardin and is facing possible charges of homicide, theft, arson and tampering with evidence.
Authorities haven't released the identity of the victim pending notification of next of kin, but his longtime neighbors told MTN he was an amputee who lived in the area for years.
“You’re here so long, you get to know everybody,” Schaff said of her relationship with the victim.
Schaff added that she's concerned about the violent nature of the crime, which she said is uncommon for her community.
“I’ve lived here all this time and we’ve never had real violence of really any sort here," Schaff said. "I've never had to deal with anything like this. Living right amongst us, I mean, that part is scary."
Linder said he expects the arraignment for Hosey to take place on May 13, with more details regarding the victim coming.
