Fire Chief Murdered

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Fire Chief Murdered

POSTED: 7:24 p.m. EDT August 19, 2005

UPDATED: 7:24 p.m. EDT August 19, 2005

Story by wjactv.com

Nanty Glo --

He was in Nanty Glo, Cambria County, for the Central District Firemen's Convention. But now a Blair County Fire Chief is dead. Neighbors in two communities are in shock.

State Police say it all happened at the VFW Hall during a bar fight around 1 oclock Friday morning. Chief Ray Stringer is with the Neptune Fire Company in Tyrone. State Police say Stringer was hit in the head during a brawl. An autopsy shows the Fire Chief had a blood alcohol level of .20. Eyewitnesses tell Channel 6 News the bartender told Stringer to leave. He started walking out then turned around to say something. The suspect, George Lightcap IV of Nanty Glo, got up and ran to Stringer punching him in his face.

According to word on the street in Nanty Glo and court papers, the bartender ordered Stringer from the bar. That's when her brother, Lightcap, and the Chief had words. Court papers go on to say that Stringer hit Lightcap who followed him into the foyer. Lightcap then hit Stringer a number of times in the head while he was on the ground. Stringer was flown to the hospital where he died. The cause of death is asphyxiation from being hit in the head. Lightcap was arrested on murder charges.

A dark cloud now hangs over the Firemens Convention Festivities. Ask anyone about the incident and the mood immediately turns somber. In fact, as the Convention started again Friday morning a moment of silence for Chief Ray Stringer. The Nanty Glo Fire Company President says this has never happened while a Convention is going on. All Convention events were shut down for the night. Their thoughts and prayers go out to the Stringer family. Roughly 250 fire company members are represented here from 21 counties across PA.