Fire investigation now criminal matter

NORWALK — The death of 8-year-old Wyatt Duchette is now being investigated as a criminal matter, police say. Duchette was killed in a house fire Wednesday, June 7, at 117 E. Main St. His step-brother Paxton was also injured in the blaze. Police now say a pipe was found in the house at the time of the fire and the pipe tested positive for methamphetamines, according to Norwalk Police Assistant Chief Michael Biller. "(The) fatal fire on June 7 remains an open case with the State Fire Marshal's Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau and is still an ongoing investigation," said Thomas Ellinger of the State Fire Marshal's office. "While an exact cause of the fire is currently undetermined, a possible cause of discarded smoking materials cannot be ruled out by our investigators." Investigators are trying to determine if the pipe was the cause of the fire or if it was just found near the source of the fire, Biller said. Norwalk Police Detective Scott Hamernik is now investigating the fire along with the state fire marshal's office, Biller said. After the fire, relatives of Wyatt Duchette created and distributed yard signs that say "Justice for Wyatt." The implication from some family members was that they didn't believe the fire to be a mere accident. "We still do not know how the fire started... who was there... who was around... why and how Wyatt Duchette had to suffer the fate he did," one relative posted on Facebook shortly after the fire. "We are asking for anyone in the community that may have seen something... search your camera logs if you live in the area... etc... or if you know something or saw something big or small come forward to Norwalk Police," they said. Several of Wyatt's family members could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. The state fire marshal's representative previously said there were no working smoke detectors in the house when the fire broke out. Owners of the house have told the Reflector the house had three smoke detectors and two of them melted off the wall during the fire. They questioned the fire marshal's claim that the smoke detectors were not working.