Body Found on CR 495 Identified

SWAN – Using dental records, the medical examiner’s office has positively identified the victim found during a house fire in the 11000 block of County Road 495 as Ryan T. Wells, 36, of Tyler. Earlier, investigators with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office discovered the cause of death; according to the medical examiner’s report, it was smoke inhalation and thermal burns. Wells’s body was found Monday after Lindale firefighters responded to the 11000 block of County Road 495.

Just before midnight Monday, the Sheriff’s Office received several 911 calls reporting a blaze at the CR 495 location. The fire was isolated to a building detached from the home. Firefighters discovered the body during their efforts to extinguish the blaze. Sheriff Larry Smith, Chief Deputy Robert Carlson, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and several patrol units responded and began an immediate investigation. The investigation is ongoing, and more information will be released as it becomes available, according to officials.