THE REMAINS of the home at 3424 Parmly Road in Perry Township where Lisa Henry took her own life and that of her son Mike Henry around 9:37 Wednesday morning. With her children in the home, Henry set the house on fire and then slit her wrists and was found in a bathtub. DANIEL KRAUS / The Star Beacon
Published September 14, 2006 07:38 am - PERRY TOWNSHIP - - A man suffering from cerebral palsy died in a house fire Wednesday morning, which allegedly had been set by his suicidal mother. Mike Henry, 25, slid out of his wheelchair and onto th ...
DISABLED MAN DIES IN FIRE
Star Beacon
Officials believe 25-year-old's suicidal mother is responsible. Perry woman said to be despondent over death of her mother
By MARGIE TRAX PAGE
Staff Writer
mtrax@starbeacon.com
PERRY TOWNSHIP - - A man suffering from cerebral palsy died in a house fire Wednesday morning, which allegedly had been set by his suicidal mother.
Mike Henry, 25, slid out of his wheelchair and onto the floor as flames crawled up the walls of the yellow house at 3424 Parmly Road. His mother, Lisa Henry, allegedly called her husband at work, set the fire in the bedroom, and then sat in the bathtub and cut her wrists, Lake County Sheriff's Office chief deputy William Crosier said.
A suicide note was found in the home, Crosier said.
Husband John Henry rushed home to find his ranch-style house on fire. He pulled Lisa Henry from the house and returned to save his three grandchildren, one of whom is an infant, Perry Township Fire Capt. Mike King said.
John and Lisa Henry and the children were taken to LakeEast Hospital for treatment. John Henry and the children suffered from smoke inhalation, King said.
Lisa Henry was reportedly despondent over her mother's recent death and told her husband she wanted to go to heaven "to be with her mother and Mike," Crosier said.
Fire crews arrived at the scene at 9:37 a.m. but couldn't save Mike Henry from the flames in his small bedroom, King said.
"When we got here, Mike was our priority," King said. "The firefighters want to do what they can to save a person, and they did absolutely everything they could to get to Mike," he said.
The extreme heat and smoke billowed throughout the small house, keeping firefighters from reaching the victim, King said.
Fire crews from seven departments worked for hours to extinguish the flames. Firefighters from the Perry Township department sat on the rain-soaked grass and watched solemnly as Mike Henry's body was loaded into an ambulance.
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