Man found dead after fire in West Baltimore, prompting suspicious death investigation

A man was found dead in West Baltimore Monday after a fire, according to city police. 

Officers were called by the fire department to the 1000 block of W. Lanvale Street around 8:30 p.m. Once on the scene, firefighters told police they found a dead man after they extinguished a fire at the back of the location. 

The incident prompted a suspicious death investigation, police said. 

The body was taken to the Medical Examiner's Office for identification and to determine the cause of death, according to police. 

Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup. 

Suspicious death investigations 

This is not the first time police in the Baltimore area have launched suspicious death investigations. 

In mid-November, Baltimore County police said they were offering a $2,000 reward for information about the suspicious death of 65-year-old Emmanuel Grant, Jr. 

Grant was found suffering from trauma to his upper body after officers responded to a check on subject call in the 1800 block of Snow Meadow Lane. He was pronounced dead on the scene, police said. 

In September, a 59-year-old woman was found dead in her Baltimore County home, prompting a suspicious death investigation. 

Officers said they found Susan Cope dead during a welfare check on English Run Circle. 

In May, a suspicious death investigation in Anne Arundel County was determined to be an alleged arson and murder by two 18-year-olds. The investigation was launched after a man's body, later identified as 67-year-old Edward Stephen Koza, was found in a burned truck. 

Jonah Poole and Kylee Dakes were later arrested and charged with murder in connection with Koza's death.