Clearwater home at center of family dispute catches fire
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The fire that broke out at a Clearwater home is the latest in a string of unusual incidents surrounding four siblings and their father.
In fact, the home has been in the news before. It's the site of an unsolved homicide - where the siblings' father Daniel Gillespie was found bludgeoned to death in November 2018.
According to court records, one of Gillespie's daughter's had been living in the home at the time. But both she and her father had injunctions filed against each other.
"Allegedly that he had been mistreating the children, walking around naked, watching pornography and whatnot," said Daniel Kortenhaus, an attorney for three of the siblings.
But a judge ruled in November 2018 that the house belonged to Daniel, and that his daughter, Shannon had to move out. Days later, Daniel was dead, and according to court records, Shannon immediately moved back in.
"It was days after our father was killed that she moved back in with her small children," said Daniel's daughter Elizabeth Gillespie. "Who does that when you don't know who killed him?"
Gillespie's death remains unsolved. His four children inherited the home and have been embroiled in a dispute over what to do with it since.
"She didn't want to leave, because she got a free place to live basically didn't have to work," Daniel's son Anthony Gillespie said.
Her siblings went to court to force her out and the home was set to be sold this Friday.
According to court records, she had a history of interfering with the sale of the property.
"She's removed the appliances, she tore the garage doors down, the sinks in the bathroom," Elizabeth said.
Shannon moved out yesterday. Just hours later, the house burned down.
Investigators have not determined a cause.
The family said they want justice for their father.
As for the home, Anthony said he's interested to see what the purchaser is willing to offer.
"Hopefully we'll get what we can get, and then we can pay our attorney and that's that," he said.
