Jones County woman found dead in fire

JONES COUNTY, MS (WDAM) - This is a news release from the Jones County Fire Department

A Jones County woman was found dead inside her fire damaged home Friday afternoon, November 7.

At 12:55 p.m. Jones County Sheriff's Department requested the assistance of Glade Volunteer Fire Department emergency medical responders and firefighters to gain entry into the home at 433 Orange Drive to check on a welfare concern of the occupant, Cida Bynum.

Upon arrival firefighters broke a smoked blackened window on the front of the house to peer inside, and found a body lying on the floor in the living room/kitchen area of the small two room house.

Jones County Deputy Coroner Burl Hall identified the body as being that of 53-year old Cida Bynum.  Friends and family members had not made contact with Bynum for several days.  The exact time of death is unknown, but may have occurred two or three days ago.  Hall said the body will be sent to Jackson for an autopsy.

According to Jones County Fire Investigator Sgt. Scott Gable, the preliminary investigation revealed that the couch in the living room/kitchen area may have caught on fire.  Bynum's body was found a few feet in front of the couch.  With the small house being so well insulated and tightly constructed, the fire apparently burned itself out, before totally consuming the home.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Sgt. Gable and the Mississippi State Fire Marshal.

Also responding to the scene were Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna, and Investigator Wayne Black with the Jones County District Attorney's Office.

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