(Port Charlotte) The body of the man found in the burned garage of 725 Riviera Lane yesterday has been identified as that of 51 year old Donald Hierspiel.
At about 2:47 am yesterday the Sheriff’s Office received a call that Hierspiel had broken into the Riviera Lane home of Cynthia Wofford while being armed with a handgun. Hierspiel is alleged to have threatened Wofford, with whom he had previously had a domestic relationship. Wofford was able to get out of the house and go to a neighbor’s residence, leaving Hierspiel inside.
When deputies arrived minutes later, they found smoke and then flames coming from the residence. The fire was extinguished and the State Fire Marshal was called to investigate the house fire while Sheriff’s Office detectives worked to investigate the armed burglary and aggravated assault complaint.
Shortly before 10 am, investigators from both agencies located the body of a white male in the garage of the burned-out house. At that point, the Medical Examiner’s Office was also called into the joint investigation.
Following the autopsy, the body was identified as that of Hierspiel. His next of kin has been notified. The investigation is still on-going. No further information is available at this time.