Bodies found in burned Cairo house identified; cause of death was gunshot wounds

CAIRO, Ill. -- The two women found dead in a Cairo home after a fire died from gunshot wounds, the Illinois State Police announced.

The victims were identified by the Alexander County, Ill., State's Attorney's office as Beatrice Barber, 29, of Cairo, and Eva Hill, 27, of Charleston, Mo., a news release from the state police said.

Illinois State Police, the Illinois State Fire Marshal and the Cairo Police Department are cooperating in the investigation. The bodies were found when firefighters responded to a house fire in the 600 block of 37th Street in Cairo shortly before noon Monday.