9 months later, questions linger about fatal Tucker fire

Construction has begun at the site of a fatal house fire in the Pointer Ridge neighborhood of Tucker.

The deadly blaze, which happened back in early February, killed a mother and her two young daughters. The sole survivor was husband and father Brent Patterson.

The case has yet to be closed by the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office. Despite this, anyone who drives by lot where the fatal fire occurred will spot a new concrete foundation in place along with plumbing pipes.

“My wife is like ‘Hey, look they're building again!’ I'm like ‘Wow!’” exclaimed neighbor Selvin Reyes.

Neighbors said construction began about ten days ago, nearly nine months after a fast-moving blaze killed mother Kathy Patterson and daughter's Madelyn, 9, and Kayla, 12.

In July, the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office said their deaths were accidental, caused by smoke and soot inhalation.

Tuesday, District Attorney Danny Porter told FOX 5's George Porter the investigation into the fire remains open.

“Everybody's mind just needs to be put to rest and move on from it because as long as there is questions nobody is going to move on from it,” said Reyes.

“It came up the stairway and I did everything I could. There was nothing I could do,” Brent Patterson told FOX 5 News shortly after the fire.

District Attorney Porter said earlier this year there were numerous inconsistencies in Patterson's public statements, leading to an investigation. Porter also said earlier that the medical examiner’s finding of accidental deaths is not binding on his office

Monday, the Gwinnett County Fire and Rescue said they turned over their findings to the DA's office in what is still an open investigation.

“That's the probably the saddest thing about this whole thing, you know. There's that suspicion. Founded or unfounded, it’s gonna be what it is,” said neighbor Charles Fleck.

FOX 5 News attempted to reach out to Brent Patterson through his church, but had no response back as of Monday evening.

Many residents said the neighborhood wants to move forward after the tragic deaths of the Kathy, Madelyn and Kayla. The rebuilding of the home, which according to public records still belongs to Brent Patterson, is a step in that direction they said.

“No matter what happens it'll kind of be erased from the memory for a little bit and we can go on and forget about it a little bit,” said Fleck. “By a new home being built here.”