Family dispute led to arson that killed two women: Winnipeg police

Winnipeg police say a family dispute led to a house fire that killed two people. Jon Hendricks reports.

The Winnipeg Police Service has arrested and charged a man in connection with a fatal house fire over the weekend that investigators allege was deliberately set, killing two members of his family.

Just before 10 a.m. Saturday, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to a blaze at a two-storey home in the 300 block of Agnes Street. Police said 19 people were inside the residence at the time.

Five people were taken to hospital, including three in critical condition. Two women later died from their injuries.

During a news conference Wednesday, police identified the victims as Tyanaa Nattaway, 18, and Crystal Mary Ellen Beardy, 48. Both women were members of Garden Hill First Nation who were living in Winnipeg.

Const. Claude Chancy said Douglas Wayne Jr. Nattaway, 30, was arrested Tuesday and charged with two counts of second-degree murder and arson with disregard for human life.

Chancy said the accused is related to both victims and is Tyanaa Nattaway’s brother.

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Investigators allege the fire was deliberately set following a dispute inside the home. Police say Douglas Nattaway left the house and set the front porch on fire with an incendiary device.

Chancy could not confirm whether the accused lived at the residence or how many of the people inside were occupants. He said not all 19 people in the home were related.

“It’s miraculous that there were not more injuries and/or fatalities in this incident,” Chancy said.

Some of the occupants self-evacuated, while others received assistance from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.

None of the charges have been proven in court.