FBI returns to Flora seeking information on 2016 arson

FLORA, Ind. – Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation will return to Flora this week to follow up on the ongoing investigation into an arson that killed four young sisters in 2016.

According to the FBI Indianapolis, agents want to talk to residents about the fire that claimed the lives of 11-year-old Keyana Davis, 9-year-old Keyara Phillips, 7-year-old Kerriele McDonald and 5-year-old Kionnie Welch.

“Something you remember could help, even if it seems small,” FBI Indianapolis wrote on social media. “If you saw, heard, or were told something back then – or have received information since – please share it with us.”

The fire broke out on Nov. 21, 2016, at a home on East Columbia Street in Flora. Investigators ruled it an arson, but no one has been charged in connection with the case.

The four sisters were trapped inside while their mother survived.

Two police officers were injured as they tried to enter the home in an attempt to rescue the girls. First responders were unable to reach the four sisters in time.

The home was demolished in October 2023, nearly seven years after the fire. A month before the demolition, the girls’ mother reached a settlement in a civil lawsuit she’d filed against her landlord’s company. Details were confidential.

Investigators are convinced someone knows who’s responsible for setting the fire. In May 2023, former Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said the girls’ mother was not considered a suspect in the unsolved case.

Anyone with information can submit tips at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). The FBI said information can be submitted anonymously.