At around 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, a terrible accident took the life of a Martin resident when flames engulfed the Dollar General on Regina St.
The Martin Fire Department arrived on the scene to clouds of smoke erupting out of the doors of the Dollar General. Alongside the Martin Police Department, the teams managed to take control of the fire by 6:30 a.m. It was during this investigation that the Martin Fire Department also discovered human remains onsite.
While Police Chief Don Teal has stated that the incident is still under investigation, the body was identified yesterday. The woman found, RubyRachel Tackett,a 59 year old resident of Martin who lived on a nearby street. She was a manager at the store and was known to go in early. The circumstances surrounding her death is currently considered a “fire death investigation”, and not many details are known. Teal notes that though her body was found as a result of police entry because of the fire, it may not have been the cause of her death. Whether this was a result of foul play or an accident is not yet known. “We are working as an active crime scene and gathering evidence,” Teal reported to The Jackson Sun.
The Martin Fire Department, TBI, The Martin Police Department, The State Fire Marshal’s Office, and Tennessee Fire Investigation Services are currently looking into the details of the fire and circumstances behind Tackett’s death.
UPDATE 8/2/2016:
Tackett has been identified as a manager for the store, and has worked on location for 10 years.
The TBI is now considering the case an “arson investigation”.
