Mother and Daughter Perish in Malone Fire

Remains of Cornelia Lockhart (73) and her daughter, Kay Lockhart-Davis (54) were found in residue of fire.

The small frame house was already consumed in flames by the time the Malone volunteer firemen arrived at the scene around 1:30 AM Saturday morning. The remains of the two women were found in the front bedroom of the home.

The first responders to the scene were the Malone volunteer unit, followed shortly thereafter by units from Jackson County Fire and Rescue. With the fire raging the firemen entered the home in hopes of finding some of the residents, but as the fire worsened they were forced to evacuate.

Chuck Sawyer, Fire Marshall for Jackson County, stated that the 911 call reporting the fire was made by the younger woman’s husband, Lawson Davis III, who was returning from a trip to Lake City. He said he had phoned his wife about forty five minutes prior to his arrival, and everything was normal at that time. The investigation into the cause of the fire is continuing.