Charred Structure Serves As Painful Reminder Of Tragedy For Grove Street Residents

Residents of the 400 block of North Grove Street voiced concerns and frustration to the Glenwood City Council last week and encouraged city officials to expedite the demolition of the scorched remains of a house at 405 N. Grove St. which continues to serve as a painful reminder for neighbors of the deadly shooting and fire that rocked the neighborhood on Aug. 6.

Dennis Burnell fatally shot two of his neighbors, Brandon and Stevie Oman, that evening before setting his own house on fire. Burnell was burned in the blaze and died two days later at a hospital in Kansas.

“Our safety, peace of mind and overall well being were shaken that night, not just by the crime itself but by the lingering presence of the severely damaged property right across the street from us,” Brielle Friar stated. “The home, as it stands now, is a constant, painful reminder of what we went through. It is burned, broken, unstable and it smells awful. The odor is overwhelming, especially in the heat, and it seeps into our windows. Every time we step outside or drive past it, we are reminded of that terrifying day. It’s not just a burned structure, it’s a trauma site.”

Harrison Friar said the fire scene is a grim reminder of the tragic incident and an ongoing source of questions from his children.

“They have questions that are very difficult to answer,” he said. “We would really like the house to be gone, not only for peace of mind, for safety. It projects a better image getting rid of such a visual reminder of what happened, but also so we don’t have to relive it constantly, answering questions that 4 year olds and 3 year olds ask.”

Luke Barrett shared thoughts similar to those of the Friars.

“I look out the back door and I see the house,” Barrett said. “It’s a constant reminder of my two best friends who I lost in that tragedy. It’s a constant reminder of the terrible man that lived next door to all of us.

“It’s a constant reminder of something that should have never happened. It’s sad that it did, but here we are now. I’d like to see something done with that house being demolished some time soon if that is possible.”

Glenwood Fire Chief Matt Gray, who also oversees code enforcement in the city, said he’s reached out to the insurance provider and mortgage company involved with the property. Both companies have been reluctant to take action.

“I’ve been in contact with the insurance company,” Gray said. “They’re denying any claims on that house, any whatsoever. They’re not going to pay anything because he (Burnell) set the fire intentionally.”

Gray said up to this point, he’s gotten the “run-around” from the mortgage company.

“We’re going to have to go through a bunch of hoops because the mortgage company, they’re like, ‘We can’t tell you anything, but we have not had any claims.’ “

Gray said he’s informed the mortgage company it won’t be receiving any claims. He added that the process won’t happen as fast as neighbors would like, as it could take two to three months before anything is done on the property.

“It’s not going to happen overnight,” he said.

Gray noted that the insurance company has even denied claims from the fire department and city.

“They’re sending everything over to their legal,” he said. “They know they’re probably going to get sued over it.”

Grove Street residents who spoke at the meeting asked city officials to keep them updated on a regular basis regarding any progress being made on clean-up and demolition of the burned structure.