TEEN BELIEVED TO HAVE KILLED GRANDMOTHER; WOMAN'S BODY FOUND IN BURNING HOUSE MONDAY

Authorities believe a 16-year-old boy set fire to his family's home in rural Cape Girardeau County Monday afternoon to cover up the killing of his grandmother.

A preliminary autopsy Tuesday identified the victim as Carolyn Lindley, 56, who died from a single gunshot wound to the head. A fire was then set to conceal the homicide, authorities said.

Lindley had recently moved to the home at 175 Paiute Lane off Route W north of Cape Girardeau from Columbus, Ohio.

Joshua Wolf, 15, who had been inside the house when the fire was reported, was taken into juvenile custody. He was accused of first-degree murder, second-degree arson and armed criminal action.

Wolf had escaped the fire Monday and was treated at an area hospital for smoke inhalation. Authorities would only say a juvenile "present at the residence when the fire was reported" had been taken into custody as a suspect. He was being held at the Cape Girardeau County Juvenile Justice Center Tuesday.

The investigation is the first homicide in Cape Girardeau County this year. Members of the Bollinger-Cape Girardeau County Major Case Squad were activated to help with the investigation.

Few additional details were being released by authorities. Volunteer crews from East County Fire District extinguished the blaze within six minutes. The fire was reported at 3:16 p.m. Monday. State Fire Marshal Butch Amann was called to investigate the fire.

"Had the fire department not responded so quickly, things would have looked very different, and it would have taken us days to process the crime scene," said Sheriff John Jordan.

Evidence at the scene seemed suspicious and led investigators to suspect a homicide, Jordan said. Authorities did not release information about the type of weapon used or the relationship between the victim and suspect. Much of that information was confidential because the suspect is a juvenile, said the sheriff.

Every juvenile accused of homicide in Cape Girardeau County has been tried as an adult, said Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle. "If this isn't, it would be the first," he said.

A hearing in juvenile court is expected to be set within the next week to decide whether to certify Wolf as an adult

Swingle said juveniles are often moved into adult court, and changes in Missouri laws since 1998 have made it easier to do. One change allows a person of any age to be tried as an adult for first-degree murder, he said. Prior to 1998, only juveniles 12 and older could be certified as adults.

A judge will look at the seriousness of the crime; the level of violence; criminal history, if any; age of the child and other factors when determining whether a crime merits an adult trial, Swingle said.

As sheriff's deputies searched for answers, more questions arose. Little is known about the family since they had just recently moved to the county.

Wolf had lived with his grandparents, William and Carolyn Lindley. His mother, Lori Wolf, and a 14-year-old sister also lived with them. Only Joshua Wolf and Carolyn Lindley had moved to Cape Girardeau recently. The other family members were supposed to move to Cape Girardeau soon.

Lori Wolf said in a telephone interview from her Columbus, Ohio, home that her mother was "just a good person" and "family was very important to her."

Carolyn Lindley began work May 1 at St. Francis Medical Center as director of the hospital's case management department, a spokeswoman for the hospital said. She had worked for 10 years in case and quality care management and as administrator of the home health-care program at Columbus Community Hospital.

The Lindleys were high-school sweethearts in Holcomb, Mo., and had been married for more than 40 years, said Janet Lindley, William Lindley's sister.

Carolyn Lindley had told co-workers at St. Francis that she looked forward to settling in Southeast Missouri, the hospital spokeswoman said.

Neighbors of the Lindleys in Columbus said the residents on the street are very close and friendly. "We know each other," a next-door neighbor said. "I don't think it's possible that it could have been Josh, but I don't know what evidence they might have."

What authorities don't have yet is a motive for the killing or a cause of the fire.

Wolf's classmates at Jackson's R.O. Hawkins Junior High School said he attended school Monday. He drove to school and left classes early, telling teachers and friends that he was going back to Ohio to visit his sister.

"It makes me sick to think that I knew somebody who would do that or who did that," said a classmate who only identified herself as Christy.

Neighbors in Columbus say the scenario seems odd. "I have never known Josh to have a temper," said his former next-door neighbor. "He was always a good kid who took care of his grandparents. He was a picture-perfect kid."

Tony Hall may be contacted at 335-6611 ext. 122 or by e-mail at thall@semissourian.com.