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MT. HOLLY, N.C. – Local investigators are now talking carefully about what may have happened inside a Gaston County home where rescuers found a raging fire and two bodies burned beyond recognition. It started when alert neighbors called 911 to report the house fire. Rescuers found a mother and son dead inside the home, so badly burned it took days to identify them. We’re learning more about the man who also lived there. 40-year-old Peter Rivers, Junior is now under the magnifying glass. Gaston County investigators tracked him down to Georgia, where Rivers is currently being held on unrelated, undisclosed pending charges. Rivers, police say, had a green Chevy Suburban with him. The vehicle was reported missing from a Gaston County house, where he lived with his girlfriend and her son.
It’s the same house that was set on fire intentionally on Monday, say investigators. When rescuers put the flames out, they found 38-year-old Bridget Berry and 17-year-old TJ Berry dead. Gaston County Assistant Police Chief Joseph Ramey says, “We had to use dental records and fingerprints because of the condition of the bodies.” He continues, “The fire did not cause the deaths of the two victims.”Β
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Ramey says they have talked to Rivers, but it’s too early to reveal much. He says, “I won’t speak to what he may have said or not said, just that we have had the opportunity to speak with him.” He continued, “We’re not releasing the cause of death, but we do know it’s the result of homicide… I will not speak about indications of struggles or evidence that may have been found in the residence at the time.”
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At the house, now a crime scene, on Ridgewood Court, neighbors built a memorial for the victims. “It does break your heart because no one deserves that,” says neighbor Kathy Locklear. She tells WCCB Charlotte she’s not surprised to hear Rivers is a person of interest. She also says, “He was like, a standoffish person. He was a loner. He was real quiet.”
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Gaston County Police say there may be other “people of interest.” If you know anything about this case, or saw anything suspicious over the past few days, call Crime Stoppers at 704-861-8000. You could get a reward.
