Brothers Killed in Walbert Ave. Fire Buried by County

The brothers who died Feb. 22 in a house fire on Walbert Avenue, were buried by the county this week because no one claimed the bodies, according to The Express-Times.

Russell L. Hutchison, 43, was pronounced dead at 3:41 a.m. Feb. 22 at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, according to Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim. And his brother, Michael, 48, was pronounced dead at the hospital at 3:55 a.m.

The men died from smoke inhalation, according to the autopsy report. Firefighters had pulled the men out of the second floor of the burning home. 

Authorities later said the cause of the fire was careless smoking.

The coroner’s office could not find next of kin, and after two weeks, decided the county would bury them.

The two were buried in Cedar Heights Cemetery in South Whitehall. The report indicates that county burials are private, organized by a local funeral director and only attended by a member of the coroner’s office.