PETERSBURG, Va. -- A Petersburg father of 14 is being remembered by family members after he died Thursday, four days after he was severely burned in a suspicious fire.
When firefighters responded to a Hampton Road home early Monday morning, they found 60-year-old Richard Cliff Felder suffering severe burns.
Felder fought for his life at VCU's burn unit, but lost the battle early Thursday morning, leaving behind a family with a broken heart.
"I'm gonna miss him. He came here every day. It's going to be hard," said mom Anna Tinsley.
Richard Cliff Felder
Family members say they are going to miss Felder’s radiant smile and laughter.
"I’m gonna miss his smile so much you know,” said his aunt Shirley Davis. "We were close to him. We always guided him in the right direction.”
Crime Insider sources say Felder had an accelerant thrown on him in a domestic that sparked the now-deadly blaze. A woman was also burned in the home and is being treated at VCU Medical Center.
Those sources confirm that woman was Felder’s girlfriend.
Family members say they'd been dating about three years.
Anna Tinsley
Felder was Anna Tinsley's only son.
"He really loved me, and I loved him," said Tinsley.
Felder served as a caregiver for his mom.
"He had a lot of love for us,” said Davis. “A lot of friendship, kindness, laughter, and joking. It was a family thing going on."
No charges have been filed in the fire at this time. Investigators from the Fire Marshals Office and Detectives of the Police Department are working a joint death investigation.
If you have any information concerning the fire, believe that you heard or saw anything in the area of the incident, contact the Petersburg/Dinwiddie Crime Solvers at 804-861-1212 or by sending a tip by downloading the P3tips App to your phone or by going to P3tips.com.
