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On Sept. 23, 2023 around 9:22 p.m. Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a heavily involved structure fire at 27 Riverview Drive in Chocowinity.  Members of Chocowinity Fire Department, Chocowinity EMS, Bunyan Fire Department, Washington Fire/Rescue/EMS, Beaufort County Emergency Management, and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

Responders arrived on scene to find the residence fire fully engulfed with flames and the primary residents were unaccounted for. Firefighters battled the fire for approximately 3 hours to extinguish the fire.

Deputies have located what they believe to be the bodies of Franklin Meeks (76 Years of age) and Gail Meeks (73 years of age) inside their home at 27 Riverview Drive. The family was notified and told the bodies were being sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Greenville for verification and examination.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office began and led a joint investigation with the Beaufort County Fire Marshall’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of State Fire Marshall.

Although the exact cause of the fire cannot be determined, Deputies do not suspect foul play.