Mother, 4 children killed in Ferguson house fire identified

The family killed in a house fire early Monday morning in Ferguson have been identified as a longtime area schoolteacher and her four children.

Fire officials said a neighbor called 911 at about 4:30 a.m. Monday when they spotted the fire at a home on the 500 block of North Clay Avenue in Ferguson.

A spokesperson with the St. Louis County Police Department said five people and three dogs were found dead inside the home.

The woman's father, Cordell Beache, identified the victims as Bernadine “Birdie” Pruessner and her four children: 2-year-old Millie Spaeder, 6-year-old Jackson Spaeder and 9-year-old twin girls Ellie and Ivy Pruessner.
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[lindabeard]

How horribly sad. Prayers for all victims and their families and friends.

[diamondbailey]

She didn't do this to herself or her children.

[cornonthecob]

I have no words.. praying for the family.

[janaskibo]

I don't understand why or how you can do this to your children. 😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔 Poor babies did not deserve this.

[birdflipper]

Why is Channel 5 reporting the fire as suspicious? Did the police or fire investigators say that?

[istinaful]

no way she did it, no matter how crazy or psychotic or mental . I seen women being so abused or mentally or heart broken, drunk or on heavy drugs, or severe mental illness, sever mental illness , depression or romance or marriage, still they do not kill their offspring, Mental illness may leave person crazy but not violent, or evil, Mental illness is misunderstood and many times used as way to justify so many things, she was so close to to those girls and they slept together and children and girls are full of life and survival energy, chances are very slim that she did it,

[sharonfleming]

Just tell Samantha Jones not to feel sad about showing her emotions on TV, I would have to evening being a man. I am very emotional about several things and I don't hold it back. 😢

[charliebrown]

This woman is what you call evil because I totally understand that you no longer want to live but why kill those innocent souls who haven't live anylide as yet.
And she shows one of the most painful way to die I can't even begin to imagine how terrified and confuses those children were to as that thee mom wasn't doing anything to help them..
And they have some nerves to say that she loves her children.
That shit isn't love.
I couldn't even do that to my worst enemy much less.
All of the children are under the age of 12 so her soul will be separated from theirs so, she should never kill them because they won't be spending eternity together

[elysam]

How horrible and disgusting. Parents killing children out of selfishness and bitter jealousy and rivalry. This woman never should have had children to begin with. But I guess her instability didn't present itself earlier on? Well at least not to the courts huh? But both fathers were fighting her for custody of their kids...so there must have been something there. Her attorney is blaming the Dad's. Sorry but I cannot agree with that. Don't care how mad or frustrated she got over the proceedings. You never take that out on the kids..Never!!! Ugh!!! How ugly and sad...those babies. Lord how I wish they could have been snatched out of hold those babies in your Grace for eternity.

[scottmoody]

Rest in the arm's of our dear Lord.

[sardaracampa]

She leaves such sweet post, and one hour later, she kills everyone? Nope! Something else happened here. Otherwise, her post would have said something like " forgive, u cannot allow my kids to go to their.father, so I'm ending it!" I would like to see the note she left in the car. Someone murdered her and the kids, someone who couldn't access her social media pages to leave the final words, so they tossed the note in her car!

[jayhill]

If you want to take your own life, that's between you and your God and no one should ever pass judgment on someone who ends their own earthly journey. As far as we know, we didn't ask to be born and it shouldn't be held against us if we want to prematurly end our own existence. That being said, no one has the right to take another's life, even if they brought that life into this world. The sadest fucking thing I've seen lately and can't help but feel heart broken for the extended family. Talk to the people you love and tell them you love them everyday. It's more important than you know.