Fire-ravaged home where Quinn Butt's body found causing neighbours angst
It's been seven months since the alleged murder of five-year-old Quinn Butt by her father in Carbonear, yet the fire-ravaged home where her body was discovered is still standing.
Insulation and other debris blows throughout the neighbourhood on windy days, and the charred exterior and crumpled roof of 12 Hayden Heights is a poignant reminder of the little girl's death on April 24.
Neighbours say the structure should have been removed months ago, and their frustration is growing.
"It's just unfortunate that we have to witness this day in and day out. Neighbours across the street. First responders. Firefighters. It's just a constant reminder for everybody of what happened," David Kennedy told CBC News Thursday.
Kennedy lives next door, and is a town councillor in Carbonear.
He was the first one on the scene the morning of the fire, and watched as volunteer firefighters removed Quinn's body from the home.
Many other people, including some children, also looked on.
Butt is alleged to have killed Quinn, and then caught fire to the home with himself and his daughter inside.
He survived and remains behind bars awaiting trial.
He is charged with murder, and the case against him is slowly making its way through the court system.
Meanwhile, the house remains standing, and is somewhat secured, but the scene looks much the same as it did in the days after the tragedy.
Even the food inside has not been removed.
It's less than three weeks before Christmas, and the Kennedys are doing their best to get in the holiday spirit, but David Kennedy says it's hard.
"It needs to be cleaned up. It needs to be demolished," he said.
CMHC 'ready to take action'
Butt had a mortgage with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, and CBC News has requested a response from the lending agency.
Meanwhile, the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation released a statement Thursday saying it is not involved, but it is in contact with the lender and "is ready to take action to help resolve this matter."
Sources say Trent Butt stopped making mortgage payments months before his daughter's death, and racked up thousands in credit card debt.
David Kennedy says the town could act on its own and remove the house, but that would cost thousands of dollars and it would likely never recover the money.
He believes lending agencies need to take responsibility.
"There needs to be a decision made at the banking level in terms of who are the rightful owners. Who are the rightful owners at this point right now. And how can they go about in terms of cleaning up this mess."
