Gwinnett mother killed in fire with daughters had blood alcohol level of .242

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Crews on Tuesday tore down a Gwinnett County house where a mother and two children died earlier this year.

Brent Patterson says he and his wife, Kathy, were putting their 9- and 11-year-old daughters to bed at their home on Pointer Ridge in Gwinnett County in February when he heard a popping sound. %

%

He went downstairs to check it out, and said he was forced out of the house by flames. He said he yelled to his wife and daughters, Madelyn and Kayla, to get out of the house.

“I came downstairs, I opened the front door and it's like the place exploded. I tried to get back in -- it was too hot,” Patterson told Channel 2’s Tony Thomas. “I couldn’t get back in because the fire came around and it came up the stairway. I did everything I could.”

Patterson and neighbors tried from the outside to get to the family, but the flames were too intense.

A medical examiner told Thomas on Tuesday that Kathy Patterson's blood-alcohol level was .242 percent at the time of the fire, but she has no proof that the fire was anything more than an accident. All three deaths have been officially ruled accidental.

Shortly after the initial fire, investigators launched a potential criminal investigation. Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter says that despite the ME’s findings, his investigation will continue, hinting that he might have more information.

The ME said she saw no physical signs that the fire was intentionally set, but that ruling is determined by fire investigators.

The fire department’s report, which is the last thing prosecutors are waiting for before deciding what should happen with the case, is expected within the next two weeks.

Demolition crews say they were hired by Patterson and his lawyer after an insurance settlement.

For neighbors who have passed the shell of the house for months, remembering what happened there has been tough.

Several residents told Thomas that they hope the demolition will bring some relief.

“I think it will (help not) to have a constant reminder every day. I think for a lot of people having a burned-out building removed from their neighborhood will help them heal and move forward,” neighbor Jason McKendrick said.

Thomas was told that Brent Patterson plans to build another house on the site.

Cox Media Group