MORGANTON, N.C. – The Burke County Sheriff’s Office has identified the second victim in a fatal house fire on Swink Street as 76-year-old Joseph Kincaid Byrd, Jr., of Morganton. Authorities confirmed the case is now being investigated as a double homicide.
The initial incident occurred on September 2, 2025, when the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, State Bureau of Investigation, and the Burke County Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the scene of a house fire. One victim, 63-year-old Michael Curtis Hallyburton of Morganton, was found deceased inside the residence. The identity of the second victim was withheld pending autopsy confirmation.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials urge anyone with information to call 828-764-9530 or use the Burke County Sheriff’s App to submit a tip.
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