NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk Police Department is seeking new leads in an unsolved house fire that left a woman dead in August 2021.
The fire happened on Aug. 12, 2021, in the 3500 block of Somme Avenue, which is near the Lakewood area of the city. The victim was identified as Leslie Vaughn, 69, who was found in the home and pronounced dead at the scene.
Claude Ranger remembers those early morning hours very well.
"I went out and videoed the fire from this side not knowing everything that was going on. It was obviously quite a traumatic event for all the neighbors."
Ranger lived behind Vaughn's for many years and calls she and her husband friends.
"They were very pleasant, nice people," he said. "It was a shock to us all here."
The Norfolk Fire Marshal's Office ruled the cause of the fire as arson and Vaughn's death a homicide. According to the police department, detectives found video footage of a suspect and a person of interest throughout the investigation.
Two and a half years later, Norfolk Police are still looking for the people responsible.
The video Norfolk Police released online shows the people police are calling a suspect and a person of interest — you can see two men talking to each other outside of the house just before 1 a.m. holding what appears to be a gas can.
While Ranger was hopeful back in 2021 that video would bring justice, he and his neighbors are still waiting for answers.
He said he and Vaughn's husband hope renewed interest or reward money might help the case move forward.
"That might stir some people up, you never know," Ranger said.
Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to reach out to the Crime Line by calling 1-888-562-5887 or by using P3 Tips online.
