x
Breaking News
More () »

Father died of natural causes while son took his own life in Mecosta County mobile home fire

Earlier this week, authorities found two men dead inside a mobile home that had been intentionally set ablaze. Now authorities have a better idea of what happened.

BIG RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, Mich — A 69-year-old father died of natural causes before he and his 32-year-old son were found inside a burning mobile home in Big Rapids Township earlier this week. 

The Mecosta County Sheriff's Office now believes 69-year-old Keith Gale Totten died from natural causes before the fire was set. 

The man's 32-year-old son took his own life, the sheriff's office said. 

The Mecosta County Sheriff's Office said there are no other people involved, and there is no danger to the public. 

The fire was first reported at 8:40 a.m. Wednesday when a 911 caller saw smoke coming from the Circle Drive Mobile Home Park on 185th Avenue. 

Mecosta County Sheriff Brian Miller said the two people inside were father and son.

After firefighters put out the flames, they found Totten in the southern portion of the home in a bedroom, and the younger man on a couch in the common area of the mobile home. 

Sheriff Miller said deputies believe the fire started in the bedroom on the south side of the trailer.

"It's in the early stages but again, we don't have a cause necessarily and because of not having a cause and the circumstances circumstances involved we're gonna consider it suspicious in nature and because of that, we want to make sure that we're being thorough and doing the best investigation we can to find some kind of an answer on the cause of the fire and the causes the death of two individuals inside," Sheriff Miller said earlier this week. 

"It's a totality of the circumstances. The two people died inside different rooms. Some of the other circumstances at this point that I really can't speak to make it that make it suspicious." 

"The older gentleman may not have been the most mobile and based on where we found him we don't believe that that was the case. And the second one based on circumstances and how we discovered him doesn't believe that there was any attempt to flee," Sheriff Miller said.

Law enforcement had recently done a few well-being checks at the home due to a family member not hearing from the older man.

The sheriff's office called the Michigan State Police Crime Lab to help them investigate the cause of the fire as well as how the two men died. 

Detectives from the Sheriff's Office were joined by the Michigan State Police Crime Lab from Grand Rapids, Big Rapids Township Fire, Big Rapids Fire, Mecosta Fire and the Mecosta County EMS.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, know there is help available to you. The Michigan Crisis Access Line offers 24/7 help and answers calls to 988. You can also text 988 for help.

    

Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now

Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

Watch 13 ON YOUR SIDE for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV and on your phone. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out