News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | ME's Office Confirms 2 House Fire Victims Died of Gunshot Wounds
The ME's office confirmed Brooke Phillips, 22, (pictured above) and Milagros Barrera, 22, who were named as victims in Monday's house fire, both died of gunshot wounds and were both pregnant at the time of their deaths. (Courtesy of Marty's Photography)
The ME's office has still not confirmed the identity or cause of the death of the remaining two victims.Staff and Wire Reports
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The State Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed at least two of the victims in Monday's deadly house fire died of gunshot wounds.
The ME's office said 22-year-old Brooke Phillips of Moore died of a single gunshot wound, and 22-year-old Milagros Barrera of Mustang died of multiple gunshot wounds.
The bodies of three women and one man were found by firefighters battling a blaze at the home on the city's southwest side early Monday. Police have ruled the deaths were homicides.
The ME's report confirmed both women were pregnant at the time of their deaths, which raised Monday's death toll to six.
The ME's office said they will release the names of the remaining two victims as soon as they are positively identified and next-of-kin has been notified.
Police Sgt. Gary Knight said determining the identities and cause of death for the victims has been complicated by damage done to the bodies by the fire.
Since Oklahoma is one of 35 states across the country that recognizes unborn children as murder victims, District Attorney David Prater said he will charge the suspect or suspects with six counts of murder.
Barrera was a graduate of Moore High School.
"Millie was a beautiful, loving, and caring person. She loved life and tried to enjoy it to the fullest. She was called to the house to help her friend and lost her life in tyring to help a friend in need," said Gary Gardner, Millie's stepfather.
The owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, a legal prostitution house in Nevada, said Phillips was a reality television star on the HBO series "Cathouse" while working at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch.
Monday's fire came less than a week after a blaze at a southwest Oklahoma City apartment building several miles away killed three people. Investigators have said that fire was intentionally set.
There has been a special phone line set up specifically for tips regarding the homicides relating to the house fire. Anyone with information regarding this case should call (405) 297-1200. The new phone line will be manned, but if nobody answers, callers should leave a voicemail, as the line will be checked for messages regularly. This phone line is only for tips regarding this case. If it is an emergency, please call 911.
More on News9.com: Pregnant Former Star of HBO's 'Cathouse' Victim of Oklahoma City House Fire
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