Council member's son is one of two people found shot to death in burning home

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The son of a Jeffersonville city council member is among two dead -- pulled from a burning home this weekend. Authorities say the couple inside the home died from gunshot wounds.

Authorities say it wasn't the fire that killed Morgan Julius, 26, and Courtney Grimm, 27. The Clark County coroner's office said both died from gun shot wounds. As of Sunday, police were not calling the deaths a homicide.

Firefighters responded to reports of a house fire in the 3000 block of Starview Court in Jeffersonville, Ind. Saturday afternoon. They broke down the fence and went in the back, hoping to save anything that may have been inside the home on Starview Court Saturday. Unfortunately, no response would have been fast enough to save the couple inside.

"They were able to pull them out of the home. When they tried to do an assessment on them, they found they were deceased," said Jeffersonville Police detective Todd Hollis.

The fact that the couple died at the hands of a gun was something friends on the scene Saturday night suspected, but hoped wasn't true.

"A couple of 20-somethings not getting out of a house on fire seems kind of weird," said Dylan Lauzon. Lauzon grew up with Julius in Jeffersonville. "I just really don't know what to think right now. It's really surprising."

City officials confirmed late Sunday that one of the victims, Julius, is the son of Jeffersonville city council member Dennis Julius. Julius declined comment.

Police are simply calling it a criminal investigation, leaving friends and neighbors wondering if someone killed the pair, or whether it was their own work.

For those living nearby, the development is shocking.

"I wasn't here at the time of the fire, so when I learned it was a shooting before then, it was very upsetting," said Anita Edwards. She said she didn't know the couple personally, but she said they were always friendly and never caused any trouble. "Everybody kind of looks out after each other, that's why it was so shocking."

Julius and Grimm were renting the home. Police say they had lived there less than a year.