By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

As was previously reported in The Whitewater Banner, when emergency personnel were called to the home at 505 Ventura Lane on November 21 by the report of smoke, they located a fire that had almost self-extinguished as well as a deceased person. The individual was identified as Indumathi Chilukuri, a 71-year-old female owner of the home. Since the fire appeared to be caused by arson, it was referred to the Walworth County Fire Investigation Team. All parties have now completed their investigation, allowing the Whitewater Police Department [WPD] to close the case, with a finding that Chilukuri’s death was a suicide.

Fire personnel and the investigation team determined that the starting point of the fire was the couch in the living room and that the fire appeared to be intentionally set. Police indicated that there were no signs of recent entry into the residence and no indication of foul play on the body. The Walworth County Medical Examiner’s Office also did not find any evidence of foul play but indicated that there were signs that death had occurred from carbon monoxide inhalation. Toxicology reported that Chilukuri’s level of carbon monoxide was at 68% saturation. It was stated that lethality from carbon monoxide exposure is at a level or 40% or higher. WPD’s report concludes, “Based on the results from the toxicology report, Chilukuri’s death was caused by inhalation of Soot and Products of Combustion (Carbon Monoxide exposure) due to a house fire. The Manner of Death was listed as Suicide.”