Fire Victim Positively Identified; Death Ruled an Accident

The sound of gunshots that in a fire last week might have come from live shotgun shells glued to a decorative plaque made by the victim's father.

The body of a man found in a burned-out Wauwatosa home last week has been positively identified as that of John K. Lorentz, the son of the homeowner, and his death has been ruled an accident.

According to just-released police reports, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office found that Lorentz died of "thermal injuries" – burns – and "consumption of combustive products."

"That's a fancy way of saying 'smoke inhalation," said forensic investigator Michael Simley of the examiner's office.

Toxicology reports that will take four to six weeks are still needed to determine exactly what Lorentz had in his system, but the medical examiner did rule the death an accident, Simley said.

Lorentz's mother, Jean Lorentz, told the first officers on the scene that her son had been drinking, but it is not clear why she thought so. Lorentz's girlfriend, a Kenosha woman, said that she was aware that he had an alcohol problem and would about once a month go on a major drinking spree and be out of touch for a couple of days.

The was reported at 8:57 a.m. on Aug. 18, and burned for hours while firefighters were held back because of the sound of what they thought were gunshots, possibly directed at them.

More details of the possible cause of the reported gunshots heard by firefighters were also released.

One of Lorentz's brothers told investigators that his father had made about six decorative plaques that included a display of various live shotgun shells glued to a background. Their father had intended to market the items but he had not followed through and had distributed them to his sons. The brother thought that John Lorentz had one of those plaques.

A police officer also reported hearing two series of several "pops or small explosions" about half an hour after the fire started. Several aerosol cans, exploded by the heat of the fire, were found in the upstairs bathroom.

The first firefighter into the home told detectives that he reached the upstairs landing of the home and found the door partly open with smoke obscuring his view. He was kneeling on the landing, he said, when he shouted "Fire Department!"

No more than two or three seconds later, he said, a gunshot rang out and he and his partner – both are fire lieutenants – went tumbling back down the stairs.

Lorentz's body was found face down in the middle of the south bedroom on the second floor of the home. He was identified that same evening from dental records.