Sheriff's Department Says Suicide Deemed Cause of Fatal Fire Sheriff's Department Says Suicide Deemed Cause of Fatal Fire

11/13/13 - The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department has determined that suicide was behind a fatal blaze in Genoa Township this past summer. The fire broke out August 19th and the victim was identified as 48-year-old Everett Meredith, the owner of the home on Crooked Lake Road. However, because of the badly burned condition of the body, it took some time to make a positive identification. Undersheriff Mike Murphy tells WHMI that lab results and toxicology reports have since been received, which indicated that Meredith had drugs and alcohol in his system. Murphy says that, coupled with a suicide note found at the scene, has led them to formally rule the death as such and the case is now closed. Sheriff Bob Bezotte previously said detectives investigating the case learned that Meredith had been arrested for operating while intoxicated on August 10th and had made some comments to friends that he couldn’t go back to jail. Court records showed that Meredith was scheduled to be arraigned on August 21st on the OWI charge. Records showed a previous conviction of operating under the influence in 1994 and that he was discharged from probation a year later. (JM)