By Steve Huff
July 21, 2006
KIRKLAND,Wash., Crime Library —It was, at first, a simple house fire, a minor, run-of-the-mill tragedy, the sort that happen every day behind white picket fences like the one that ringed the house on the 9500 block of Slater Avenue.
It was, of course, a bit more poignant since the man of the house, Army reservist Leonid Milkin was overseas, serving in Iraq. But the fire was quickly doused. It had taken firefighters less time to bring the Monday morning blaze under control than it ordinarily takes to kindle the charcoals for a backyard barbecue.
 |
| Milkin Burned House |
That's when the real horror began.
 |
| Justin and Andre Milkin |
As firefighters worked their way through the damaged home, they found the bodies of Milkin's wife, Olga, just 28-years-old, and not far from her, the bodies of the couple's two children, Justin, 5, and three year old Andrew. The children's aunt, Olga's sister, Lyuba Botvin also lay dead inside. She was just 24.
 |
| Olga Milkin |
They were not victims of the fire, authorities would soon declare. All four had been brutally slain, stabbed to death by a killer who foolishly thought that an arson fire would conceal the crime.
 |
| Lyuba Botvin |
On Wednesday, three days after the gruesome find, and as arrangements were being made to ship Sgt. Milkin stateside, authorities announced that they had arrested 24-year-old Conner Schierman in connection with the blaze.
Next Page
See Message Board
For more daily crime news
default
increase
decrease
email
print
