SHELBY COUNTY — The family of a couple killed in a home explosion in Shelby County are beginning to lay their loved ones to rest.
As News Center 7 previously reported, the explosion happened around 2 a.m. Wednesday in the 17000 block of Sharp Road, killing Tom Tracy Jr. and his wife Sherry.
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“They were wonderful people,” Dan Rice said.
Neighbors like Rice and Tammy Barga said the memorial placed near the home wasn’t there Wednesday.
“Somebody must have brought it here overnight,” Barga said.
On this rural block, the houses may be spread out but the relationships are close.
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“I think it’s awesome. Without getting emotional, we have a very tight community. We do a lot for one another,” Barga said.
On Thursday, News Center 7 talked to Thomas Sherry III and his sister, Sarah.
Tom and Sherry were their dad and stepmom.
They said they appreciate the community’s support and the memorial and they don’t know the cause of the explosion and fire yet.
News Center 7 checked with the state fire marshal’s office Thursday, they said they’re still investigating and have not found a cause but they’ll continue going through evidence from the scene to make that determination.
“I hope the real root cause of the problem can be found so that nobody ever has to deal with something like this ever again,” Rice said.
A neighbor told News Center 7 that some documents with Tom and Sherry’s names on them were found at a property on State Route 47 just northeast of Port Jefferson.
That property is nearly a mile and a half from the explosion.
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