Thursday, April 24, 2008
Smoke inhalation, burns killed teacher in Botetourt blaze
A Roanoke teacher whose body was found Sunday after a fire at her Botetourt County home died of smoke inhalation and burns, the medical examiner's office said Wednesday.
The office used dental records to confirm that the remains are those of Melissa Rickman, 38, said Botetourt County Sheriff Ronnie Sprinkle.
Investigators still have not determined what caused the early-morning fire that ripped through the two-story house on Emerald Lake Drive in Blue Ridge.
The autopsy showed no evidence of foul play, and Sprinkle has said the fire is not suspicious.
But the investigation has been hampered because the house was unstable, making it dangerous for investigators. Crews were working Tuesday and Wednesday to stabilize the structure.
Rickman shared the home with her husband, Anthony Rickman, and their two children.
Anthony Rickman was on a golf outing with friends in North Carolina at the time of the fire, and the children, ages 7 and 12, were with his mother in Chase City.
Rickman was a seventh-grade math teacher at Roanoke's James Madison Middle School, where staff and students have been grieving her death.
Students are holding a raffle during a school dance Friday evening to benefit Rickman's family. They also will set up a booth at the school's Fun Day on Saturday to collect donations of food, clothing, gift cards and money for the family.
