A 41-year-old Austin man was killed in a house fire and Indiana State Police detectives and crime scene investigators are conducting a death investigation after the early morning blaze.
The deceased has been identified as Paul Ray Collins, 41, of Austin, Indiana.
Next of Kin has been notified.
This investigation is ongoing, and no official cause for the fire or cause of death has yet been determined.
Shortly before 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, the Jennings Township Fire Department and Austin City Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting a residential fire at 45 N. 4th Street in Austin.
When firefighters and officers arrived, they found the front of the residence on fire and a utility shed located in the front yard completely engulfed.
After extinguishing the fire, firefighters discovered a body in the charred remains of the utility shed.
ISP detectives and crime scene technicians responded and investigated the case throughout the morning and afternoon, along with investigators from the Indiana State Fire Marshall’s Office, the Austin Police Department, and the Scott County Coroner.
ISP detectives and crime scene technicians were assisted by units from the Jennings Township Fire Department, the Austin City Police Department, The Scott County Sheriff’s Department, and the Scott County Coroner.
