Emmaus Fatal Fire Could Lead to Lawsuits

Some of the surviving family members of four people killed in an Emmaus fire in March may sue the owners of the building where the victims lived, according to a Lehigh Valley Live report.

Preliminary paperwork for a civil lawsuit has been filed in Lehigh County Court, but police investigations into the fire are not yet complete. Police have said the cause of the fire is not suspicious.

The building, which has been torn down, was owned by Michael and Loretta Boyko of Macungie and was a former funeral home that was divided into apartments.

The four victims— three adults and a teenager—died of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries (burns). Coroners needed to use dental records and DNA to identify the badly burned bodies.

The residents of 36-38 S. Fifth St. who died are:

• Melissa Twining, 48, and her son, Montana Twining, 16. They lived on the third floor. Montana was a student at Emmaus High School.
• David Jenkins, Jr., 65, of 16 S. 10th St., Emmaus. Some media reports say Jenkins was the boyfriend of Melissa Twining and was visiting her at the time of the fire.
• Lena Marie Adamo, 56. She lived on the second floor. Known as "Marie," she was the girlfriend of resident Bobby Taylor, who managed to escape the blaze. Taylor works at the Emmaus McDonald's, where the manager said his girlfriend Marie was "his world."