An unidentified body, a burned home and a missing car create mystery for Florida cops

A burned body in a Florida home has ignited a mystery as investigators try to figure out who died and who took off in the homeowner’s car, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office reports.

The strange case came to light Sunday, March 5, when Putnam County Fire Rescue responded to a house fire in Hawthorne, located about 110 miles northwest of Orlando.

“Firefighters arrived at about 8:57 a.m. to the residence after a neighbor called to report the fire. Upon making entry into the residence, firefighters discovered the body of an adult inside,” the sheriff’s office reported in a March 6 news release.

“The state fire marshal was called to investigate the fire and the body was sent for an autopsy. On Monday the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.”

A positive identification of the body has not yet been made.

Louis Stackhouse, 69, lived in the home and has not been located. Investigators aren’t sure if he’s the one who died, or if he’s the one accused of leaving the scene in a silver 2008 Saturn Sky, 2-passenger coupe, the sheriff’s office said.

A search is underway for the car, which belongs to Stackhouse, officials said.

“At this time the manner of death is not being disclosed. Due to the nature in which the body was discovered, the identity of the victim must be determined by the medical examiner and those results are pending,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Anyone with information as to the location of Louis Stackhouse or the silver 2008 Saturn Sky is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 386-329-0800.”

The Putnam County Fire Department said trucks arrived to find the single-story home “50% involved.”

Photos shared by the sheriff’s office show the house sustained heavy damage, with the rear sections reduced to burned studs.

This story was originally published March 7, 2023 at 7:58 AM with the headline "An unidentified body, a burned home and a missing car create mystery for Florida cops."