Elderly woman dead after suspicious Craven County fire

CRAVEN COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Deputies say a fire that killed an elderly woman Sunday morning is suspicious and is being investigated by multiple agencies.

Dorothy McCoy’s body was found in a bedroom of the home on Hobbs Road outside of Cove City. The 76-year-old woman was pronounced dead by EMS paramedics.

“We were just very shocked that this would happen to her,” said Cynthia Sawyer, a neighbor next to McCoy.

The fire was reported around 3:30 a.m. and when firefighters first arrived flames were coming out of the mobile home.

“You saw a lot of smoke and firefighters doing their jobs trying to put it out,” said Sawyer. “They were working really hard.”

It was not just Sawyer who saw the number of fire trucks and lights arriving to the house. Wilma Stilley, a resident across from the Cove City Volunteer Fire Department said that sirens woke her up.

“I looked out the window and it was just one fire truck after another,” said Stilley.

Sawyer and Stilley say they have not seen the community like this for a long time. Sawyer describes the community as a family, and the safety of it all is what they care about the most.

“This is all a family community down here, we all look out for each other and kind of take care of each other.”

In addition to the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the fire is being investigated by the Craven County Fire Marshal, State Bureau of Investigation, State Fire Marshall, and ATF.

Anyone with information on the fire should call the Craven County Sheriff’s Office at 252 636 6632.

Copyright 2023 WITN. All rights reserved.