Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that the fatal structure fire that occurred on Roberts Road in Toms River Township on February 16, 2023 has been ruled accidental.
On February 16, 2023, at approximately 3:00 p.m., Officers from the Toms River Township Police Department and Toms River Township Fire Departments were dispatched to a reported structure fire on Roberts Road. During the primary search of the residence, the body of a deceased male later identified as Billy Kimbrough, 76, the occupant of the residence, was discovered.
A thorough and extensive investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and the Toms River Township Bureau of Fire Prevention, determined that the fire originated on a mattress in the only bedroom of the residence and that smoking cannot be eliminated as the cause of the fire. A post mortem examination of the victim is scheduled for today.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Toms River Township Police Department, Toms River Township Bureau of Fire Prevention, and the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office, for their combined and cooperative efforts in connection with this investigation.