SAULT STE. MARIE – A man who died in a house fire that police say was deliberately set almost exactly two years ago – resulting in the recent arrests of three people – was originally from Southwestern Ontario, according to his obituary.
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Dwayne Kozuch previously lived in the Oxford County communities of Otterville and Woodstock, his obituary states. He worked on a tobacco farm and in the auto industry.
Kozuch, 51, was found following a fire at his home on Mississagi Bay Road in Municipality of Huron Shores, east of Sault Ste. Marie in northern Ontario, on Feb. 6, 2023. A vehicle was also deliberately torched. The vehicle was on Chevis Road, said Const. Bev Gauthier of Ontario Provincial Police.
Nearly two years after the deadly blaze, three people, all Blind River residents, were arrested earlier this month in connection with Kozuch’s death. Their relationship to Kozuch is not known, Gauthier said.
- Nathaniel Bates, 28, and Lindsay Rietze, 28, both of Blind River, are charged with first-degree murder, arson, disregard for human life and arson, damage to property.
- Amanda Soum, 42, of Blind River, is charged with accessory after the fact to murder, arson, disregard for human life and arson, damage to property.
They were to appear in Elliot Lake court last week. Their relationship to Kozuch is not known, Gauthier said.
In his 2023 obituary, Kozuch was mourned as the “beloved” son of two deceased parents, Walter and Stella. He also had a brother, Rick, who died in 2021. He was survived, it stated, by several aunts, uncles and cousins. The obituary noted his best friend was his cousin, Chester Cebulak.
–By Brian Kelly, The Sault Star
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