A Pennsylvania father is facing homicide and arson charges after authorities say he deliberately set his home on fire, killing his teenage daughter and injuring his estranged wife in a shocking act of domestic violence.
Brian Jeffrey Shelleby, 46, has been charged with criminal homicide, arson, and risking catastrophe, according to Allegheny County court records.
The blaze broke out shortly before 10 a.m. on Sunday in the 800 block of Corbett Drive in Castle Shannon, a Pittsburgh suburb. Multiple frantic 911 calls reported the inferno as flames quickly engulfed the residence.
When first responders arrived, the fire was already tearing through the two-story home. Inside, investigators say Shelleby’s wife and their 19-year-old daughter, Lakyn Shelleby, were trapped.
The wife managed to escape, but firefighters were unable to reach Lakyn in time. She was later found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, the tragedy stemmed from escalating marital conflict. Shelleby’s wife told investigators that she had ordered him to leave the home because they were separated.
In response, he allegedly threatened to “burn the house down.” Moments later, he reportedly retrieved a five-gallon can of gasoline from the garage and doused both floors of the house.
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As his wife ran for her life, she said, “the house exploded into flames.”
The fire spread with terrifying speed, neighbors recalled.
“It took about 13 seconds for the whole house to go up in flames,” neighbor Patrick Funwela told WPXI. “I ran outside and saw the windows were all blown out. A gas tank was sitting in the middle of the street.”
Funwela and others rushed to help, but the thick smoke and intense heat were overwhelming.
“We broke the window, climbed up the ladder, screaming for Lakyn — no words, nothing,” he said. “The smoke was unbelievable. It was the thickest black smoke I have ever seen.”
Police say Shelleby remained on the scene as the house burned. After being read his Miranda rights, he allegedly admitted to starting the fire. In his statement, he claimed he was “trying to convince [his wife] to let him stay” but turned to gasoline when she refused.
The loss of Lakyn Shelleby has devastated her community. She was a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh and a 2024 graduate of Keystone Oaks High School. On Monday night, classmates, family, and friends gathered for a vigil in her honor.
“She was so smart, and she could kick down the doors with her charisma,” childhood friend Alexandria Kelley told WPXI.
The case remains under investigation as prosecutors prepare formal charges.
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