Gravenhurst man charged with murder after Stouffville blaze

Police have charged a Gravenhurst man with bludgeoning his on-again, off-again girlfriend to death after fire fighters pulled her body from her Stouffville home.

Around 8:20 a.m. on Sunday, emergency responders found Marion Deacon’s Doner Street residence in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville ablaze. Fire fighters pulled Ms. Deacon, 46, from the burning home and rushed her to the hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead. A post-mortem found the cause of death to be multiple blunt force trauma to the head.

Paul Kenyon who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, had been staying with Ms. Deacon. Const. Gary Phillips of the York Regional Police said that Mr. Kenyon, 43, and Ms. Deacon had been together off-and-on.

“(Mr. Kenyon) was found outside on the front lawn when the officers arrived on-scene,” Const. Phillips said. “He got out of the house but was suffering from smoke inhalation.”

The investigation into the fire is ongoing, but significant damage has rendered it unlivable.

Police have charged Mr. Kenyon with second-degree murder. He will appear before the courts once his condition improves.