A 55-year-old man was fatally stabbed Thursday, while a separate house fire early Friday killed another man and injured two people.
DELAND, FL — Authorities in Volusia County are investigating two unrelated deaths in the DeLand area after a man was stabbed Thursday night and another man died following an early-morning house fire Friday.
The investigations began within hours of each other but involve separate circumstances. Volusia Sheriff’s Office detectives are treating the stabbing death of 55-year-old John J. Strobel as a homicide, while the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the residential fire. Authorities have not announced any connection between the cases.
Deputies were called around 8:34 p.m. Thursday to the area of West Beresford Road and South High Street in southwest DeLand, near State Road 15A, after a stabbing was reported. Paramedics pronounced Strobel dead at the scene. The Sheriff’s Office said Friday that Strobel lived in a camp near the area where the stabbing occurred.
Detectives continued to canvass the area for evidence Friday. The Sheriff’s Office said no suspect was in custody and had not publicly identified a possible attacker. Authorities also had not released information about what may have led to the stabbing or whether investigators had developed a motive.
Several hours later, firefighters and deputies were sent to a house at 1960 Central Parkway at about 3:17 a.m. Friday. Deputies arriving at the scene spoke with an adult woman who told them that two other adults, a man and a woman, were still inside the burning home.
Firefighters entered the residence and rescued the two people along with a family dog. The three adults were taken to area hospitals for treatment. The man later died from his injuries. Authorities had not released his name as of Friday, and the Sheriff’s Office did not provide updated conditions for the two women.
A second dog was also removed from the home but did not survive. Other local reporting from the scene indicated the house sustained major fire damage, including a roof collapse. The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office responded to investigate how the fire started, and no cause had been announced.
The two deaths added to a series of emergency responses in the DeLand area during a busy period for local first responders, but officials have described the stabbing and fire as separate investigations. The Sheriff’s Office has released limited details while detectives gather evidence in the homicide case and fire investigators examine the Central Parkway residence.
As of Friday night, the stabbing investigation remained active with no suspect in custody, while the cause of the fatal house fire remained under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. No additional findings in either case had been publicly released.
Author note: Last updated August 15, 2026.