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Names Of Deceased Found In Burning Sheffield Home Emerge

The seal of Sheffield, Massachusetts has a tree surrounded  by the name of the town and the date of its incorporation: June 22nd, 1733

An Albany law firm has confirmed the identity of one of the deceased people found in a burning Berkshire County home Wednesday.

A press release from Hoffman Warnick said that attorney Justine Wilbur died with her family Wednesday in Sheffield, Massachusetts. At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Berkshire County District Attorney Andrea Harrington said that five bodies were found after emergency services rushed to an active fire around 8 a.m. Wednesday. Wilbur, who Hoffman Warnick described as a patent expert, co-owned the home at 1343 Home Road with Luke Edward Karpinski, according to state records.

In a tweet Thursday afternoon, Harrington said her office and Massachusetts State Police "continue to investigate the fatal fire in Sheffield, and do not believe the public faces a threat." The tweet said Harrington "is working to provide an update on the case later today."

Josh Landes has been WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief since February 2018, following stints at WBGO Newark and WFMU East Orange. A passionate advocate for Western Massachusetts, Landes was raised in Pittsfield and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, receiving his bachelor's in Ethnomusicology and Radio Production. His free time is spent with his cat Harry, experimental electronic music, and exploring the woods.
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