CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Five Southern Illinois University students who died in an apartment building fire 25 years ago have been remembered at a campus memorial.
The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports school officials, the Carbondale Fire Department and others participated in the Wednesday service. One speaker, Carla Coppi, remembered a cold night Dec. 6, 1992, along with thick smoke and ice on the charred apartment building.
Four of the five students who died in the blaze were international students. Authorities believed the fire was due to arson but a suspect was never identified. The Carbondale Police Department lists the fire as a cold case. Police Chief Jeff Grubbs said there still is a strong commitment to resolve the case.
SIUC Chancellor Carlo Montemagno honored the students, saying “any loss to the SIU family is a loss to each and every one of us.”