INDIANAPOLIS – It’s been eight years since four little girls were killed in a house fire in Flora, Indiana on Nov. 21, 2016.
Keyana Davis, 11, Keyara Phillips, 9, Kerriele McDonald, 7, and Kionnie Welch, 5, were trapped inside the burning home at the corner of East Columbia and South Division Street in the middle of the night around 3 a.m.
Neither their mother, Gaylin Rose, or first responders could get them out in time.
The fire was ruled an arson.
Still, the Flora community is searching for answers as no arrests have ever been made.
FOX59/CBS4’s Jenny Dreasler spoke one-on-one with Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter about who he believes could be behind the fire and why.
Is there any update in the case?
“We continue on. We’re going to continue on just like we have before. I know it’s not what people want to hear but we are going to continue on and I really believe that one day we will know.”
Was Gaylin Rose, the girls’ mother, ever a suspect?
“No, we have no reason to believe that’s the case. We have no reason to believe that. She’s a mom that lost four little kids. My heart breaks for her. There’s been so much said and so many allegations about that and all of the perception and public opinion and all those things and you know, we have to be really careful there and I’m still getting a lot of hate mail about it. It wasn’t as important as the Delphi murders and that’s just simply not the case. We have to act on what we know. And I’ve said that so many times I feel like I’m a broken record. But we will continue to work that until the end.”
Do you think somebody knows [who did this]?
“Oh, absolutely. 100 percent. 100 percent, I do. You know there’s also this notion of a cold case. Everybody thinks about that, but I don’t. As long as there are people that are still living that might have an idea or know, why would it be cold? So, we will continue to do anything that we can around the country. I wish Gaylin all the best. I really wish her the best and the rest of her family. I can’t imagine what they’ve been through.”
Do you think we are ever going to solve this case?
“Solving it, yes, I do. I do because I believe somebody knows.”
What would you say to the person who did this if they are watching?
“I want to say is I don’t think you intended to do what you did. I don’t think that they intended to kill four little girls. I don’t. That’s me, that’s my own opinion. I don’t believe they intended to do that. I believe they intended to send some type of message. And I don’t know what the message was.”
There have been a lot of rumors about this case, how have police dealt with that?
“That’s a great question. I appreciate the question. And the answer is we’ve learned a lot over the course of these last eight years both for what happened in Flora but also what happened in Delphi and one small county in Indiana. And things happened I never dreamt ever would. That is public opinion because of the way which we communicate today, and I don’t hate people that hate me. I really don’t. I think over time this frustration built, and it builds and builds and then there was a racial overtone to it all which really was hurtful to me personally but there’s so much speculation. And if you speculate long enough, you’re right. But during that speculation, you’re able to talk about what you think and then it becomes what you know and then all of the sudden, everybody believes it’s true. Whether it’s this case or any other complex criminal case in the state or in the country. I think that’s something we are always going to be fighting from this point forward. And I think that’s one of the reasons the media is so important. It’s so very important that we are able to get the true perspective. And not opinions but perspectives and talk about what we know. And you’ve always done that very well.”
The house is gone and the lot is vacant, that’s got to be rough to see.
“That place was always a place of reflection for me. I would go there and sit across the street for 15-20 minutes and just look at that house. Now that it’s gone. It’s strange, I’m glad for the community for the Flora community that it’s gone. But it’s always going to be something that rips at the heartstrings for everybody that lives there. And knows about this. Those four little girls.”
You have a rock on your desk with their names on it. Does that serve as a reminder to figure out who did this?
“That rock was given to me by Jackie on the year anniversary. I’ve kept that rock ever since it’s sat here or on my windowsill with the names of the girls in the order in which they died. The four little girls from Flora and then it was Abby and Libby. So, it’s just a perpetual reminder and I’m going to be taking that with me when I leave.”
Are you still getting tips to this day on the case?
“There are still investigative steps being taken pretty regularly and routinely. I can’t talk about those right now, but we will continue to do that. The tips and the information, more information than tips right now, but we will continue to take them and encourage people to talk to us.”
Click below to view the complete extended interview with ISP Superintendent Doug Carter:
If you know anything about this, call 1-800-382-4628. More information can also be found online.
