More than eight years have passed since four young girls — sisters between the ages of 5 and 11 — were killed in a house fire authorities later ruled an arson. To this day, no one has been arrested, and their family continues to mourn without answers or justice.
The deadly blaze tore through a home at 103 East Columbia Street in the early hours of Monday, November 21, 2016, killing:
- Keyana Davis, 11
- Keyara Phillips, 9
- Kerriele McDonald, 7
- Kionnie Welch, 5
According to Kionnie’s obituary, she was a vibrant kindergartener who loved cheerleading and snuggling in bed with her mother, Gaylin Rose. The four girls were known in the tight-knit town of Flora, Indiana — a rural Carroll County community of just over 2,000 residents.
The home was declared a crime scene in the months following the fire, when Indiana State Police confirmed the blaze was deliberately set. A $5,000 reward remains in place for information leading to an arrest. Yet, nearly a decade later, the arsonist remains unidentified.
Community Still Grieving
Though the burned-down house was demolished in October 2023, its absence leaves a haunting mark. A memorial bench nearby on Columbia Street displays the names of the four girls, alongside Abigail Williams and Liberty German, two other Carroll County children murdered in Delphi just months later.
The bench bears a message: “Justice for Flora four angels.”
Former Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett described 2016 as a devastating year:
“That was just a horrid tragedy that kicked off a rough year for Carroll County in general.”
Questions, Frustration, and Allegations
Despite early involvement from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office and state police, family members say they feel abandoned. The Flora Police Department — with limited staff and resources — turned the case over in its early stages.
Great-aunt Jacqueline Partlow expressed deep frustration:
“We’re just sitting here, eight years later, with no help. And when I say no help from the State Police, none.”
Gaylin Rose, the girls’ mother, relocated to California after the fire. She has publicly denied any personal feuds that might have motivated the attack.
“There was no type of beef, no retaliation against me and my family. … I feel like it was more racial,” she said at the time.
In a 2021 interview, Rose admitted she was emotionally and mentally exhausted by the lack of progress:
“All the time, I’m disappointed. It’s just taking so long to figure out what happened.”
“I Don’t Believe in Cold Cases”
Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter, who plans to retire in January, insists the case remains active.
“Science is changing. Technology is changing. But the information remains the same,” he told 13News.
“I don’t believe they [the arsonist] set it intentionally to kill those four little girls.”
Carter also rejected any suggestion of racial bias:
“The color of their skin doesn’t matter to me. I’d trade spaces with them.”
Carter said Rose is not a suspect, and he still hopes to meet her in person one day.
Legal Efforts and Lingering Trauma
In 2018, Rose filed a federal lawsuit against her landlord and later pursued a product liability claim, based on early theories that an appliance caused the fire. That claim was dismissed in 2020 when the fire was determined to be arson.
While the town of Flora still honors the memory of its “four angels,” the bare lot at Columbia and Division remains a somber reminder of a tragedy still without accountability.
“She’s afraid to go to sleep. She’s afraid to wake up,” a relative once said of Rose’s ongoing trauma.
How You Can Help
The Indiana State Police urge anyone with information about the fire to contact them. A $5,000 reward is available for leads that result in an arrest.
