A 10-year-old alleged rape victim and her grandparents have died in a massive fire at their home just hours before her suspected attacker was set to go on trial.
Corrine Gump and her maternal grandparents, Judith Schmidt, 61, and William Schmidt, 63, who were both deaf, lost their lives in the early-morning blaze in Youngstown, Ohio on Monday.
Neighbors reported hearing loud explosions at 3.30am before the fire tore through the house.
Later that day, Robert Seman, Jr., 46, was set to stand trial on four counts of rape and four counts of gross sexual imposition.
Seman, himself a father to a two-year-old child, had been accused of abusing Corrine from when she was just four years old until she was eight,
WFMJ reported, citing an indictment from a year ago.
Since April last year, he had been under electronically-monitored house arrest but on Monday his bond was revoked because he allegedly tried to bribe a witness in the rape case, WFMJ reported.
Authorities said he had not been taken back into custody because of the fire.
Investigators said they have found no evidence that the origin of the blaze was suspicious.
But because Corinne was an alleged victim, the Youngstown Police are involved in the investigation, Sergeant Ron Barber told
WKYC.
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Seman's trial has been delayed in light of the deaths but no new date has yet been set. He could face life in prison if convicted of the charges.