By By Adam Prestridge
The body of an 88-year-old Wawbeek woman was discovered early Friday morning in the charred remains of her home just off Sardis Church Road.
Officials with the Escambia County Sheriff's Office responded to the residence of Aline Moye located at 544 Little George Road to discover a few walls and a brick fireplace in the center of the home were the only remains left of the home.
According to Escambia County Sheriff's Office Maj. Mike Murphy, family members learned of the fire as they approached Moye's house to bring her a cup of coffee, a routine they followed daily.
"When we arrived, the house was down, but there were still contents and other stuff inside burning," Murphy said.
Moye's home is positioned several blocks away from other homes on Little George Road. It is nestled between several large trees, which makes it hard to see from the roadway. Besides the home's location and the fire occurring late at night, officials don't have any other reasons to why the blaze went unnoticed.
"It's a secluded area and not too many people live around there," Murphy said. "And a lot of times the plant up the road gives off a lot of light. I can't explain why the fire went unnoticed."
The Wawbeek Volunteer Fire Department with assistance from the Little Rock Volunteer Fire Department responded to the fire and extinguished what remained of the fire. Upon investigation, rescue personnel discovered a body believed to be Moye around 8:15 a.m.
The Escambia County Medical Examiner's Office transported Moye's body to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science in Mobile where an autopsy will be performed and a cause of death will be determined.
"We're confident that it is her," Murphy said. "Just to make sure the autopsy will be performed and will determine the cause of death."
Murphy said foul play is not suspected.
"All unattended deaths are treated as a homicide until evidence proves otherwise," Murphy added.
In addition, officials with the Alabama State Fire Marshal's Office were called in to determine the cause and origin of the fire, Murphy said. Early Friday afternoon, fire marshals continued to sift through the ashes as their investigation continued.
The case remains under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff's Office and the Alabama State Fire Marshal's Office.