"What kind of father are you? Weren't you going to save the children first?", Joshua Kannin's 39-year-old ex-wife tearfully asked after their three children, ages 7, 9, and 10, died in a fire on the day they were visiting their father. Joshua had no answer.
He is currently facing three counts of child neglect resulting in death.
According to court records, the children's mother had brought them to their father's home in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, to spend the final days of Thanksgiving last year (27/11/2025). She stated that Joshua's apartment was "extremely filthy" and that the children often had to "fend for themselves" when staying with their father.
That evening, he stated that he and the children went to bed at 21h.
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The scene of the fire. Photo: Law and Crime |
Sometime later, he awoke and went downstairs, where he saw "a small fire" in the kitchen. He told police he "panicked" and ran to a neighbor's house to knock for help, even though his three children were still inside.
He then returned to his apartment and heard his children calling for help inside. "I tried to go in, but smoke rushed in, and I couldn't see anything. I took two steps and had to turn back".
When firefighters and police arrived at the scene around 22h30, the apartment was "engulfed in flames".
The bodies of the two older children were found in the kitchen, where authorities believe the fire started. The 7-year-old child was taken to the hospital and later died.
Authorities determined that the two boys had been cooking noodles on a gas stove while their father was sleeping upstairs, possibly accidentally causing the fire. One of the gas burners was still on after the fire.
According to the indictment, Joshua also admitted to removing the smoke detectors in the apartment, believing they were faulty and would trigger automatic alarms, causing "annoyance" and inconvenience.
Joshua also admitted to leaving numerous cluttered items near the gas stove, including: "donut packages, wallets, cigarette packs, a toaster, work bags, napkins, and many other items he could not recall".
The fire department stated there was no evidence that the father caused the fire, whether by accident or intentional act.
His first court appearance is scheduled for 14/5.
By Hai Thu (Source: Law and Crime)
