Woman dies in house fire in Dexter

DEXTER, Mo. -- The cause of a fire that claimed a woman's life early Monday remains unknown.

Firefighters were summoned to 905 N. Poplar St. in Dexter at 1:20 a.m. Monday to find the two-story house engulfed in flames. Firefighters worked through the early morning hours to extinguish the fire that damaged a nearby residence as well.

The home was owned by Teresa Cobb of Dexter and rented out to Don Morris, who was not at the home at the time of the fire. It was feared, however, an acquaintance of Morris might have been in the house.

State Fire Marshal Jason Dunn of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was called to the scene and spent several hours there.

Nearly 11 hours after the initial fire call, the burned body of a woman was found in a bathroom on the main level.

Although tentatively identified, authorities are not releasing the name of the victim until they receive results of an autopsy scheduled for 10 a.m. today.