Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The children were seven, nine and ten years old.
A late-night fire in Wisconsin has led to serious criminal charges after three children were found dead inside a burning apartment. Authorities say their father escaped the blaze but left them behind.
Investigators are now examining the conditions inside the home and the moments leading up to the deadly incident.
Joshua Kannin, 39, faces three felony counts of child neglect resulting in death, the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office confirmed in a statement released on Facebook.
The charges relate to a fire on Nov. 27, 2025, that killed his children, Rylee, 10, Connor, 9, and Alena, 7.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Kannin allegedly told police the family went to bed around 9 p.m. He later woke to what he described as “a small fire” in the kitchen.
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Fatal night unfolds
Kannin said he “panicked” and ran to a neighbor’s apartment for help, believing the children were still upstairs. Emergency crews arrived around 10:30 p.m. to find the unit engulfed in flames.
He later told officers, “I tried to go back in, but smoke just came at me, and I couldn’t see. I barely got two steps in, and I had to turn back.”
Connor and Rylee were found in the kitchen, believed to be where the fire began. Alena was taken to the hospital but later died.
Conditions examined
Reporting from WISN, an ABC affiliate, indicated investigators found signs that the boys may have been cooking when the fire started. A stove burner had been left on.
Police said Kannin admitted leaving items on the stove, including “packs of donuts, his wallet, a pack of cigarettes, a toaster, his work bag, napkins, and possibly other items.”
He also told officers he had disconnected smoke alarms because they were “an annoyance” and had boarded up windows.
Family reaction
The children’s mother, Jourdan Feasby, told police the apartment was “absolutely disgusting” and described food access as “fend for yourself, in a sense.”
Speaking to People, she recalled asking Kannin at the hospital: “You wouldn’t grab the kids first?”
The Kenosha Fire Department said there was no evidence Kannin caused the fire. His first court appearance is set for May 14.
Sources: Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WISN, People, Kenosha Fire Department, Law & Crime
