FERGUSON, MO – A mother and her four children who perished in a house fire in Ferguson, a city on the outskirts of St. Louis, Mo., have been determined to be victims of a tragic murder-suicide, according to the St. Louis County Police Department.
The police department informed that early investigations revealed that Bernadine Pruessner, the mother, intentionally lit a mattress, starting the fatal fire. Furthermore, a note was found expressing Pruessner’s intent to end her life along with those of her children.
Law enforcement rushed to the scene around 4:23 a.m. on Monday following reports of a burning residence. Upon their arrival, fire personnel announced that four individuals were deceased inside the home. Another search led to the discovery of a fifth victim.
Police identified the victims as Bernadine Pruessner (39), Ivy Pruessner (9), Ellie Pruessner (9), Jackson Spader (6), and Millie Spader (2). Bernadine was the biological mother of all four children, and they resided together on the 500 block of N. Clay Avenue in Ferguson.
Initial examination of the fire, which also resulted in the deaths of the family’s three dogs, pointed to suspicious circumstances.’
Reacting to this unspeakable tragedy, Jared Spader, the father of Jackson and Millie, and David Pruessner, the father of Ellie and Ivy, expressed their heartache in a joint statement on Wednesday afternoon. Jared characterized his children as the biggest blessings a father could have, noting Jackson’s kindness and Millie’s charisma. As the grieving fathers aim to honor the memories of their children, they thanked the supportive community, both familiar and unfamiliar faces, for their help during this painful period.
Ferguson’s police chief, Troy Doyle, also stressed the devastating impact of the incident on first responders at the scene of the incident.