A deliberately set fire destroyed an apartment and boarding house in East Houston on February 13, 2006. Among the victims was 32-year-old Joseph Chryar, who was trapped inside and did not survive. The Harris County Medical Examiner’s autopsy ruled Chryar’s death a homicide.

The Houston Police Department initially classified his death as a dead man, an undetermined category that prompted concern from Chryar’s family. In December 2007 HPD quietly reclassified his death, along with five others, as homicides; those cases were reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI and made eligible for the Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund for burial and related assistance.

Despite that reclassification, Chryar’s case remained unsolved with no suspects identified. Anyone with information that could help investigators or the family is asked to come forward.