A Family Renovated Their Fireplace — And Uncovered a 10-Year-Old Mystery Behind the Bricks

Richmond, Virginia. March 7th, 2010.

Kevin Morrison was just trying to save a little money. With sweat on his brow and a sledgehammer in hand, he smashed through the old brick fireplace in the living room of his family’s new home at 847 Maple Avenue—a charming 1920s Victorian they’d bought six months earlier. His wife Alicia and their daughter Jade watched from the doorway, both a little anxious but trusting Kevin’s DIY ambitions.

But the moment the bricks crumbled and red dust filled the air, the renovation turned from a weekend project into a nightmare. Behind the bricks, Kevin noticed a smell—something old, wrong, and unmistakably disturbing. When he shined his flashlight into the dark cavity, his heart stopped: a shoe, denim fabric, and then the horrifying realization that a human body had been hidden in their fireplace for years.

“Get out,” Kevin said, voice shaking. Alicia thought he was joking, but one look at his pale face told her otherwise. She called 911. Within minutes, their quiet street was filled with police cars, a fire truck, and an ambulance. Their home was now a crime scene.

The Discovery — And the Questions

As crime scene investigators carefully dismantled the fireplace brick by brick, the Morrison family sat in shock, watching from a police car. The coroner eventually emerged, carrying a black transport bag—the remains of a person who had been sealed away for perhaps a decade.

Detective Raymond Torres was assigned the case. After listening to Kevin and Alicia’s account, Torres began digging into the house’s history. The Morrisons had bought the property from a real estate company; it had been a rental for years. But who owned it before?

Within two days, Torres called the Morrisons back to the station. He had identified the victim: Darius Coleman, a young Black man who had disappeared in September 2000 at age 28. Darius had been reported missing, but the case went cold—until now.

The house had been owned by Victor Petrov in 2000, a Russian immigrant and house flipper. Darius had been hired by Victor to do renovation work. Darius vanished that September, and Victor sold the house a month later. Torres suspected Victor was responsible.

Digging Deeper — Another Secret Buried

But the mystery didn’t end there. As Torres investigated, he discovered Victor’s business partner, Alexe Vulov, had also disappeared in 1999—no missing person report, no trace. Torres obtained a warrant to search the basement, and with ground-penetrating radar, discovered another anomaly under the concrete floor.

Forensic teams excavated the spot and found skeletal remains—Alexe Vulov, buried with his passport beneath the basement floor. Victor had killed his partner first, and when Darius discovered the bones a year later, Victor silenced him too—hiding Darius in the fireplace before fleeing to North Carolina.

The Truth Comes Out

Torres tracked Victor to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was still flipping houses. Victor was arrested and brought in for questioning, but he refused to confess. Torres needed more: he turned to Victor’s ex-wife, Ireina Petrova.

Ireina, terrified but wracked with guilt, finally broke her silence. She revealed the whole story: Victor killed Alexe during a drunken argument, then buried him in the basement. Darius, hired for repairs, found the bones. When Darius threatened to call the police, Victor attacked him and sealed him alive in the fireplace. Ireina had lived with the secret for ten years, afraid Victor would kill her too if she spoke up.

Justice for Darius

Detective Torres visited Patricia Coleman, Darius’s mother, who had spent a decade searching for her son. When Torres told her the truth, Patricia was devastated but grateful to finally know what happened.

The case went to trial in January 2011. The evidence was overwhelming: two bodies, property records, forensic analysis, and Ireina’s testimony. The jury found Victor Petrov guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms—never to see freedom again.

Closure, But Not Healing

Three months later, Patricia held a funeral for Darius. Friends, family, and the community gathered to honor a man who had always tried to help others, who died doing the right thing. Simone, Darius’s sister, spoke of his kindness and willingness to fix any problem. Tanya, his girlfriend, sat in the front row, still mourning the life they never got to share.

Patricia visits Darius’s grave every Sunday, bringing flowers and keeping his memory alive. She knows justice doesn’t heal the loss, but it’s something. After ten years of not knowing, she finally has the truth.

The House With Secrets

The Morrison family never moved back to 847 Maple Avenue. The house was eventually torn down, and a new home was built. But in the neighborhood, it’s still known as the “fireplace house”—the place where two men died and were hidden for years, until a family with a sledgehammer brought their secrets to light.

Detective Torres retired in 2015, but he never forgot Darius or Patricia. He knows that sometimes, the truth is the only thing you can offer, even if it comes too late.

At 847 Maple Avenue, a family’s renovation unearthed a decade-old mystery. But more than that, it uncovered the story of a son who tried to do the right thing, a mother who refused to give up, and the justice that finally came—brick by brick.