The widow of a Fort Carson soldier killed in Iraq was left homeless in Columbia, Mo., on Wednesday when intruders ransacked her home before setting a fire that killed the family dog, authorities said.
Samantha Jo Baker Fitzmorris is the widow of Spec. Steven Fitzmorris, who was shot by a sniper in August 2008.
According to published accounts, Baker Fitzmorris was visiting friends in Colorado Springs when her two-story home in Columbia erupted in flames about 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Her two children, ages 3 and 5, were staying with their late father’s family in Alabama, authorities said.
Investigators think that a burglar or burglars made off with a 52-inch television before setting a fire that swept through the home, causing $150,000 in damage, said Columbia Fire Department spokesman Capt. Eric Hartman.
