Couple accused of child cruelty after deadly house fire arrested, Georgia cops say

A Georgia couple who fled after a deadly house fire have been arrested, according to Gwinnett County police.

Investigators found signs of child cruelty and neglect, which led to the arrest of William Linn McCue, 47, and Carina Wisniewski McCue, 38, both of Loganville.

They were arrested Thursday, June 30, after the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office fugitive unit traced them to the Appalachian Trail in Cleveland, Georgia, police said in a news release. The couple was wanted on charges of child cruelty after an investigation into a fire that killed their 10-year-old daughter on Easter Sunday.

Both were taken to the Gwinnett County Jail where they remain held without bond.

The couple had been on the run for more than a month before authorities caught up with them.

The McCue’s 15-year-old son was charged with murder after police said he intentionally set the fire. He’s expected to be tried as an adult.

While investigating the deadly blaze, detectives saw signs that the couple’s five kids were possibly victims of child cruelty and neglect, McClatchy News previously reported. Authorities launched a separate investigation into the McCues, highlighting the “unsanitary and dangerous living conditions” their children endured.

They included “camping style” buckets that doubled as toilets and a makeshift bed in the bathtub where the couple’s 10-year-old daughter was found dead, police said.

In an affidavit, state investigators said that the kids had not bathed in months.

It’s not clear if the couple could face additional charges.

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