The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s office says a deadly fire in a Nashua apartment building early Monday morning may have begun as an act of suicide but also claimed the life of a neighbor.
Crews responding to reports of a fire at an eight-unit building on Orange Street around 3:20 a.m. found intense flames erupting from the second floor.
Eight of the nine residents were removed from the building but Scott Thomas, 66, was taken to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the state fire marshal.
An adult man was also found dead in the apartment of 80-year-old Gerald Gutekunst. Police did not officially identify the deceased man but do believe it is Gutekunst.
Police say they have launched a suspicious death investigation and are examining all aspects of the case, including whether this may have been a case of suicide by fire in which the fire flames then spread to cause the murder of another.
The state fire marshal’s office noted that Gutekunst was previously charged in connection with allegations of arson and threats of violence in Hudson in 2019 but was found not competent to stand trial.
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