ST. LOUIS – An autopsy of two women found dead at the scene of a house fire in Dutchtown over the summer were the victims of a homicide, St. Louis police said Thursday.

The fire happened around noon on July 14 in the 3500 block of Kingsland Court. The first was on the first floor of a 2.5-floor brick residence.

Firefighters pulled two women from the burning home. They were rushed to the hospital but did not survive. They were identified as Sherry LaRose, 81, and Elizabeth Pfaff, 66.

At the time, the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit began its investigation into the cause of the blaze. Police said the fire appeared to be set intentionally.

At a news conference on Oct. 9, Mitch McCoy, spokesman for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, said the Medical Examiner's Office and detectives determined the two women died as the result of a homicide. McCoy said police had identified a person of interest, but was uncertain if the individual was in custody.

Back in July, FOX 2 News learned that Bomb and Arson investigators responded to another suspicious house fire on Telford Drive in south St. Louis County, days prior to the fatal fire on Kingsland. Property records show both houses were owned by Pfaff.

Ryan LaRose, Pfaff's relative, was arrested on the night of July 14 for the Kingsland Court fire.

At the time, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged LaRose with first-degree arson. LaRose remains in custody on a $100,000 cash-only bond. He is due in court on Friday, Oct. 10.