Nearly five months after a fatal fire tore through a Queensbridge Houses apartment in Long Island City, the investigation into the death of Lavina Nolley has been classified as a homicide, the NYPD announced Friday, May 6.
The inferno broke out on the evening of Dec. 9 in a second-floor unit at 40-11 12th St. in the Queensbridge North Houses complex. Nolley, 49, was discovered with burns and trauma to the body. EMS responded to the scene and rushed Nolley to Mount Sinai Hospital-Queens in Astoria where she was pronounced dead.
The medical examiner’s office determined that Nolley died of smoke inhalation and multiple lacerations to her body and the FDNY fire marshal’s office has since determined the blaze was intentionally set.
Investigators are looking into why Nolley was in that apartment when she lived almost a half-mile away on 29th Street, police said.
There have been no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.
