ME: NY mother’s death in SI fire ruled suicide

Updated: March 2, 2011 5:54PM

NEW YORK (AP) — The medical examiner has ruled that the death of a mother who died in a fire with her four children in New York City’s Staten Island was a suicide.

Spokesman Ellen Borakove said Thursday that autopsy results showed that Leisa Jones died from smoke inhalation. She said Jones’ 14-year-old son, C.J., died from a wound to the neck and his death was ruled a homicide.

Investigators had initially described C.J. as a suspect because he had a history of playing with fire.

Jones’ three other children also died in the blaze. Two had their throats cut; one later died from smoke inhalation at a hospital. C.J. had a razor under his body.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.