Police arrest Salem, Ind. man after body found in burned-out mobile home

SALEM, In. (WDRB) -- Indiana State Police have arrested a man after a body was found inside a burned mobile home in Salem.

Police say the fire was reported at the mobile home on Teresa Street around 7 p.m. on Monday. After putting out the fire, firefighters discovered a body inside.

Police didn't have to look very far to find the man they believe is responsible for the crimes.

"As our detectives and crime scene investigators were working on the scene, the homeowner was actually taken in for questioning," Sgt. Jerry Goodin with the Indiana State Police said.

After interviews, police gathered enough evidence to arrest 28-year-old Joshua Risinger. He's is facing murder and arson charges and is being held in the Washington County Jail.

The victim has not been positively identified. An autopsy was performed Wednesday in Louisville, but Goodin says the results were inconclusive and the victim's identity could not be confirmed.

"We're still trying to find out who the deceased person is, the only thing we can say right now is that it is a male," Goodin said.

The autopsy also did not determine the cause of death. Police are hoping further testing will bring some answers about how the victim died.

"Whether it was from the fire or if there was some type of foul play before the fire," Goodin said.

Police tell us that fire disturbs a crime scene and the flames and water can destroy evidence, which has made things difficult for investigators.

"They're going to have to sift through all that stuff, to make sure that we do collect all the evidence that is available... to be able to convict him in court," Goodin said.