Detectives make new strides in Casa Grande homicide investigation, but can’t close case yet

The Santa Maria Police Department is still working to put a lid on a case that shook the city last month — the shooting and fire at Casa Grande that left five dead, including the suspect.

Police can’t close the case until three of the victims’ identities are officially confirmed.

Law enforcement made new strides just last week, but the investigation could still take months.

“It’s a complicated case, we have multiple victims,” said Lt. Paul Van Meel of SMPD. “Trying to find a reasoning behind it, that’s always complicated.”

Investigators say 64-year-old Claude Adams shot two neighbors over an ongoing dispute before setting his home on fire. The suspect, his wife, and his son were presumably inside.

Police turned to the Santa Barbara County Coroner’s Bureau for an autopsy on those three bodies.

“We haven’t gotten their final findings yet in the report. The other option that we’re exercising, that we’re still waiting for, is the confirmation from the Department of Justice as to the identity of the victims that were inside of the house,” said Van Meel.

The Coroner’s Bureau tells our newsroom they were able to locate the victims’ relatives in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, collecting DNA samples last week. The samples have been sent to DOJ. The agency says because the bodies were badly burned in the fire, they’re relying on DOJ’s findings.

“I can say that it takes time,” said Van Meel.

The Coroner’s Bureau says It could take weeks, or months before they get DNA results.

Lt. Van Meel explains that cases involving family dynamics can be unpredictable.

“There’s a lot of history that goes into that and that always makes things… sometimes it can make them really clear, give you an accurate idea about why this happened. And sometimes it doesn’t, it just kinda muddies the water.”