Three young girls died Wednesday in a house fire in the Crystal Hill community that investigators are calling suspicious.
"We are in the process of developing a suspect right now who was an acquaintance of the family," said Sheriff D.J. Oakes.
"Any time three young people perish under these circumstances we don't think of it as an accident," Oakes said.
"Everyone involved in the investigation is conscious of the fact that someone hurt those kids," he added.
The bodies of Lacey Wright, 14, Jessica Wright, 13, and Christina Wright, 11, were recovered by rescue personnel from the two-story house on Hunting Creek Road in northern Halifax County.
At 12:20 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters were called to the scene, only to find the house "fully involved."
Triangle, Liberty, Halifax and Clover Fire Departments responded to the call, as well as the Halifax County Rescue Squad.
Firefighters were told by family members that the children were feared trapped upstairs.
Investigator Keith Tribble, who is leading the investigation, said that once the fire began, it quickly spread to the second floor and prevented the children from escaping.
The girls' parents, Marvin and Angela Cash, and a brother, 15-year-old Wayne Wright, were downstairs and were able to escape the blaze, said Capt. Larry Fears of the Halifax County Sheriff's Office.
"When we got to the scene, the parents were very distraught, and were sitting in a tractor-trailer in the front yard," said Jeff Francisco of the Triangle Volunteer Fire Department, the first department to arrive on the scene.
Fears said that the fire was being treated as a homicide pending the outcome of the investigation.
He added that the fact that normal heat sources weren't in close proximity to the apparent origin of the blaze made the investigators suspicious.
While no accellerant was found at the scene by State Police arson investigators, evidence from the scene has been sent to the state laboratory for study.
Wednesday morning, a tire swing and childs bicycle in front of the charred remains of the home were heartbreaking reminders of the young people who lost their lives in the blaze.
"We used to see the kids playing in the front yard of the house all the time," said a member of Triangle Volunteer Fire Department.
Larry Clark, assistant superintendent of Halifax County Public Schools, said that counselors were sent to the middle school, where Lacey Wright was an eighth grader and Jessica Wright was a seventh grader, and to Scottsburg where Christina was a fifth grader.
The counselors were sent to the schools to help classmates deal with the deaths.
"When you lose one child, it's a tragedy," Clark told reporters. "When you lose three, it's unimaginable."
Principal Gail Bosiger of Halifax County Middle School said Wednesday that the deaths could only be described as a tragedy.
"I met the children at the door who rode on the same bus that Lacey and Jessica rode," Bosiger said.
"When those children came in this morning, it was just awful," the principal said. "They had ridden by and seen the house."
Bosiger said that at the time, she didn't know how bad the fire was.
"When I saw the children's faces, I knew it was bad," she added.
The principal said that about 100 children met with counselors Wednesday morning in the library of the school.
"We had two counselors on hand to help control the children's grief," Bosiger added. "Wanda Jeffress, from Jeffress funeral home happened to be standing in the lobby when the news came in, and she just dropped everything and helped us deal with this.
"At first, you just let a child cry," Bosiger said.
She said that many of the children wrote notes to the family as part of the grieving process.
Principal John Courtney of Scottsburg Elementary School, a school that all three children had attended, described the girls as "lovely."
"I knew all three children, and this is just a tragedy," he said.
The principal spoke about Christina.
"She was a great kid, an honor roll student and a joy to have in school.
"They will be sorely missed," Courtney said.
The family is currently staying with Angela Cash's mother.

County decals will not be sold at the Division of Motor Vehicles office this year.
Instead, applications will be mailed to vehicle owners beginning next week.
Decals, which are $25, can be purchased starting March 1, either by mail or at the Halifax County Treasurer's office in the Mary Bethune Office Complex in Halifax.
The county's decal deadline is April 14.
"As always, all personal property taxes must be paid before decals can be issued," said Linda Foster, county treasurer. "Those having unpaid taxes may still wish to come to the treasurer's office to pay taxes and get their decals."
Foster urges residents to buy decals early to avoid the rush and long lines at her office.
Preprinted data from DMV records has been used in preparing applications.
Vehicle owners are asked to fill in all information that is required on the front of the form, and return all copies to the Halifax County Treasurer's Office. A return envelopes is included.
For tax assessment purposes, please be sure to fill in the vehicle mileage. When issuing the decal, the top copy of the form and decal will be returned to the vehicle owner.
Information regarding the decal form is listed on the back of the top copy.
Those vehicle owners who do not receive applications may call the Halifax County Treasurer's Office at (434) 476-3318 or come by the office and bring their current Virginia state registration cards.
Any town resident who received an application needs to go to his/her town office and get a town decal.
The Halifax County Treasurer's Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
South Boston
The deadline for decals in South Boston is April 14 as well. Decals in the town are $20 and are purchased through the town's finance office.
Town of Halifax
Decals go on sale June 1 in the Town of Halifax. Decals are $20 and may be purchased at the Halifax Town Administration Building on Main Street.

Leo Hinson, formerly of Bethel Trail in Halifax County, was formally indicted on eight charges yesterday by a federal grand jury in Roanoke.
Hinson's charges, which stemmed from a four-year investigation, were:
· The intent to engage in conduct constituting a felony that has an element of the use of physical force against the person of another
· With premeditation and malice aforethought, on account of assistance being given by a witness, to an officer or employee of the United States or any agency in any branch of the United States government while engaged in official duties, did aid and abet or did attempt to murder.
· Knowingly and willfully conspired, agreed and confederated with other and with other persons known and unknown to the grand jury to commit an offense or offenses against the United States, that being the attempt to murder a person assisting an office or employee of the United States while engaged in official duties.
· Did aid and abet or did attempt to murder a witness with the intent to prevent the attendance or testimony of such person in any official proceeding, or to prevent the communication by that person to a law enforcement officer or judge of the United States of information relating to the commission or possible commission of a federal offense.
· Knowingly and willfully conspired, agreed and confederated with each other and with other persons known and unknown to the grand jury to commit an offense or offenses against the United States, that being the attempt to murder a witness with the intention to prevent the attendance or testimony of such persons in any official proceeding or to prevent the communication by that person to a law enforcement officer or judge of the United States of information relating to the communication or possible commission of a federal offense.
· Did aid and abet or did knowingly attempt to murder a witness with intent to retaliate against such person for providing to a law enforcement officer any information relating to the commission or possible commission of a federal offense.
· Knowingly and willfully conspired, agreed and confederated with each other and with other persons known and unknown to the grand jury to commit an offense or offenses against the United States, that being the attempt to murder a person, with intent to retaliate against such person for providing to a law enforcement officer any information relating to the commission or possible commission of a federal offense.
· Did possess a firearm which had been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
The arrest was part of a four-year investigation known as "Operation Harvest Moon" that included officers from the Halifax/South Boston Regional Narcotic Enforcement Task Force, The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF),The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the United States Attorney's Offices of Raleigh, N.C., and Roanoke, Va.
The investigation revealed a multi-faceted, tiered organization involving murder, money laundering, drug distribution and alleged corruption involvement of public officials and law enforcement officers.
Large amounts of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines were allegedly being distributed in several states by the organization.
Hinson's assets will be seized and filed for forfeiture.
The investigation revealed that Hinson owns property in several states, including real estate in halifax county valued at nearly $3 million, according to police reports.
Among other assets targeted for seizure are farm machinery and vehicles with an estimated value of $1 million, according to Maj. R.S.B. Pulliam of the Halifax/South Boston Regional Narcotic Enforcement Task Force.
Additional drug and firearm charges against Hinson are pending.
The continuing investigation promises additional arrests of individuals associated with the organization, Pulliam said.

By KEITH STRANGE
Whether you're an adult wanting to get your GED or a student experiencing difficulties in the public school system, the Halifax County Career Center offers an alternative method to complete your goals.
"When we were deciding what to call this program, we almost picked 'The Opportunity Center,' because that's what it really is, an opportunity," said Bill Moore, executive director for administration of Halifax County Public Schools.
The career center is the brainchild of Superintendent Dennis Witt and Moore.
It currently serves approximately 120 students in the day, evening and adult education programs.
"This place fills a void for Halifax County because a lot of kids aren't going to be able to graduate from the high school and go on to a four-year college," said David Martin, chairman of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors, who works at the career center.
While most teenagers are anxious to graduate high school and move on to college, there are those, Martin says, who are simply wanting to gain the skills to get a job.
"What we try to do here is work with the kids that need an alternative learning environment," he added.
Working with these children means that they often take children that are discipline problems within the public school system.
Martin said that the discipline code at the career center is "exemplary."
"I am extremely proud of the discipline system in place here," he said.
Martin added that the alternative school has almost no discipline problems.
"Instead of being reactionary to discipline infractions, our goal is to instill the sense of responsibility into the kids through a strict interpretation of the discipline code," he added.
Moore, who has been a Halifax County educator for more than 30 years, said that the school has a state identification number that makes it a part of the public school system, but it is considered an alternative school.
"Our focus is on GED preparation and vocational training," he said.
He added that they now focus on preparing the kids to take the new nationally-normed GED.
"It used to be that anyone could walk into a room and in thirty minutes take the GED and go on," Moore said.
"But now the test is normed so that nationwide only about 52 percent of persons taking the test pass it," he continued.
The focus at the school is prevalent everywhere you look.
The cafeteria is named the "Career Pavilion" and is run by the students in the food service curriculum.
On the walls of the classroom where the GED preparation takes place are placards that read "Welcome to your Future."
"When we were thinking about putting together this program, we saw a portion of the student body within the high school system who wouldn't be able to pass the Standards of Learning tests," Moore added.
He was quick to point out that the mission of the career center is evolving as the needs of the population changes.
"Since the day we opened the doors, it's evolved. And it continues to evolve."
"Many of the people we serve are people who have been laid off and are wanting a GED or job retraining," the administrator said.
The center prides itself on having the most up-to-date GED preparation methods.
"The bottom line is, if you've got a desire to get a GED, then we can help you do it," Moore claimed.
"We use software on out network to help the students learn how the questions are presented, and have the most up-to-date materials available," he added.
The teacher that handles the GED testing has been to Richmond to prepare herself for the new GED.
"I have a feeling that the new test is going to end up being the adult equivalent of the SOLs," Moore offered.
Not Only General
Equivalency Diploma's
In addition to offering GED preparation for adults, the center is equipped to handle middle and high school students who are having trouble adapting to the curriculum in the regular classroom.
"With the middle school students, naturally our goal is to get them caught up and back into their regular classes," said Career Center Principal Jackie Venable.
Since many of the problems in the regular classes come from the sense of helplessness that a child feels knowing he can't keep up with the material, the career center tests the student upon admission, and starts teaching at the level of the student.
"We have a really low teacher to student ratio so we can offer that kind of one-on-one education," Venable said.
If there are discipline problems, strict adherence to the discipline code seems to be the answer.
"If we have a child that doesn't want to act properly, we'll suspend them just like the other schools," Moore said, adding that discipline problems at the career center are rare.
Problem students are often moved from the day classes to the evening classes.
"That is the last chance in the public education system, the next step is Juvenile and Domestic Relations court," Moore said.
Although up to the judge, occasionally he will simply forgive the student public school attendance, said the administrator.
When a student graduates from the career center, they are equipped with a GED and career training.
"The need for the program came from the observation that the students that could not pass the high school curriculum were simply being let out on the street unequipped to get a job and be productive members of society," Moore said.
Middle school students can be placed in one of two programs.
"We have what we call Project Yes, where for whatever reason children were picked by their elementary school principal as being at risk for not completing high school," said Moore.
In Project Yes, the child stays at the center for two hours a day, just to get extra help with their studies, Moore said.
Project Yes is designed to keep the child in school and increase their chances of success, Venable added.
The other program is the alternative educational program.
"We set the middle school students apart because we didn't want a 12-year-old in the same program with an 18-year-old," Moore said.
"And at the same time we didn't want to write off a child at 12 years old," he added.
A lot of the problem with children is the lack of parental support many experience, claimed the administrator.
But the principal said that one of the encouraging things she has seen is the level of parental involvement.
"It's encouraging that the parents come in here with a list of issues and concerns.
"Many of these parents have a mindset to take an interest in their child's education," Venable said.
"We invite the parents over for lunch often, and it's nice to see how many people show up," she added.
She added that the career center personnel strive to work with the parents for the common goal of making the child successful.
"Much of what we do is offer guidance and a person for a troubled child to talk to," he offered.
The population of the student body comes from a variety of sources.
"Some of the students have had discipline problems at the middle and high school level and have been reassigned here," Moore said.
The administrator said that for a lot of people in the county the perception of the career center is of a place to hold the public school's discipline problems.
"But that's not true.
"Many people feel that a suspension from the public schools stem from drugs and serious fights and things like that, when in reality it is often a long list of little things, not being able to conform to the rules, that add up to suspension," he said.
Both the principal and the administrator said that not all of the children attending the career center were there involuntarily.
"We have a mixture of kids who have requested to come here," said Moore.
The career center is only a little over two years old, and although a track record is yet to develop, all indications are that it will help to keep a productive work force in place in Halifax County for a long time to come.
"My son went here for school and now he is finishing up his two-year degree in drafting," Moore said.

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
There were a lot of long faces and a few tears as Halifax County players shuffled around the pile of white and blue uniforms that laid on the locker room floor.
Half an hour after the Comets lost to Cave Spring 67-62 here in Wednesday night's Western Valley District Tournament semifinal game, the stark reality of the loss was hitting the players hard.
"It's tough," said senior Anthony Owen who was held to seven points in the loss.
"It's like someone in your family passing away. You get real mad. I'm real mad because it's all over."
Senior Sterling Williams, who led the Comets with 25 points, was also trying to cope with the loss that knocked the Comets, who had a 16-win season, out of a chance to make the field for next week's Northwest Region Tournament.
"We lose as a team and we win as a team," Williams said with tear-stained eyes.
"We just didn't come out in the first half with the same "Hali-Heat" as we did in the last two minutes of the game."
Halifax County entered the game with its best shot at a chance to play in a district title game and earn a berth in the regional playoffs since Comets coach Garrett Dillard took over the Comets basketball program.
But, the Comets, who have made something of a habit of falling behind by double figures and staging a dramatic rally to win the game, couldn't pull it off on this night.
The Comets trailed by 17 points late in the third quarter and rallied to cut the margin to three points on a three-pointer by Owen with 3:41 left in the game.
That, however, was as close as the Comets got.
"We just didn't finish it," Dillard said of the team's season.
"We just didn't do it. I hate to say it like this, but, it was almost like they were afraid to win.
"We can't live by that (falling behind and trying to rally to win)," added Dillard.
"We've done it all year. We've won several (games) that way but that's not the way you want to come back."
The Comets hit 45 percent of their shots from the floor, forced Cave Spring into committing 12 turnovers and hit six out of their nine attempts at the free throw line.
However, it wasn't enough to overcome a giant night of free throw shooting by the Knights.
The Knights were a perfect 24-24 at the charity stripe. Guard J.J. Redick, the Duke University-bound Cave Spring standout, led the effort with a 10-10 performance at the charity stripe enroute to a game-high 28 point night.
Cave Spring's perfect night at the charity stripe included a 12-12 effort in the fourth quarter when the Comets were trying to make their comeback.
Those 12 free throws were big as the Knights hit only three field goals in the final eight minutes.
The Comets trailed 49-32 when Redick scored on a move in the paint with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.
After that, two three-pointers, one by Shamoni Faulkner who finished the night with 17 points, and one by Owen, ignited the Comets as they pulled to within 11 points at 49-38 at the end of the third period.
A three-pointer by Faulkner to start the fourth quarter brought the Comets to within eight points.
Six unanswered points from Williams capped a 9-2 Comets run in the first two and a half minutes of the fourth quarter.
That rally, which completed a 15-2 Comets run in a three-minute span that started late in the third quarter, brought the Comets to within four points at 51-47 with 5:36 left in the game.
The Comets stayed within four to six points of the Knights until Owen hit the big three-pointer with 3:41 left in the game.
Redick put the Knights up by five points with a pair of free throws.
Then came another pivotal point.
The Comets' Lymon Gregory worked his way free along the baseline and had what appeared to be an open layup with 2:59 to play.
Instead, Gregory went for the slam dunk and the Knights' backup center, Jake Kaplan blocked it, leaving the Comets empty.
Cave Spring went down to the other end of the floor, got a basket from Matt Hamilton and moved its margin back to seven points.
"That was a really big play," Dillard said.
"I'm not saying that one play won or lost the game but it could have kept the momentum in our favor. Instead, it shifted it to their (Cave Spring's) favor. When they get up by seven like that it really deflates you. It takes the wind out of your sails."
Cave Spring coach Billy Hicks agreed that Kaplan's block was big.
"It was a great defensive play," said Hicks.
"He's got 21 or 22 blocks this year. He does a nice job of that.
"We didn't want them (Halifax County) to tie the game or get the lead and they never tied the game," Hicks added.
"I think it would have been mentally draining for us and stimulating for them. We couldn't let that happen."
The Comets managed to get back to within five points of the Knights on a couple of occasions with baskets from reserve forward Dwight Green who scored nine points on the night, six of which came in the final eight minutes.
Each time, however, Cave Spring would knock down free throws that would extend its lead back to seven points.
A six-footer from Williams with 12 seconds to play put the Comets within three points but the Knights got another two points before the contest ended to polish off the five-point win.
The Comets came out of the box well, taking a 15-13 lead after the first eight minutes with the help of 10 points from Williams.
Williams gave the Comets the lead with a layup off of the opening tip. Then, the Comets forced Redick to call a quick time-out when the Comets' pressure defense prevented him from inbounding the ball.
However, the Knights came right back and scored on a layup by Tom Hagan to even the game.
"That was probably the peak of our night," Dillard said of the first shot and first defensive play.
"If we had kept our cool and had kept them from getting an easy layup after the time-out and gotten up by four or five points the game is different because then, we don't have to press all night."
Cave Spring came out with a 7-0 run in the first two minutes of the second quarter to go up 20-15.
The Knight's outscored the Comets 18-9 in the second stanza and led 31-24 at intermission.
"We just didn't have the fire early," Dillard said.

Julius Williams Garrett Jr.

Deacon Julius Williams 'J.W.' Garrett Jr., 78, of South Boston died February 16 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Garrett was born in Halifax County on December 5, 1923, the son of the late Ellen Palmer Garrett ad the late Julius William Garrett Sr. He was a licensed mortician and practiced in Halifax County.
Survivors include his wife, Nannie Garrett of South Boston; one daughter, Dandra Garrett of Rocky Mount, NC; three sisters, Iola Collins of Clover, Alice Farmer of Newark, NJ, and Agnes Coleman of New York City; one brother, Lilton Garrett of Halifax.

Funeral services for Mr. Garrett will be held today, February 22 at 1 p.m. at Ellis Creek Baptist Church in Nathalie with burial in the church cemetery. The Rev. Rodney Forest will officiate.

Reuben C. Bennett

Reuben C. Bennett, 68, of Randolph died February 19.
Surviving are his wife, Nadine Harvey Bennett; two sons and daughters-in-law, David and Joyce Bennett and Daryl and Tamara Bennett, all of Randolph; one daughter and son-in-law, Tammy and Garnett Hall of Halifax; and six grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mr. Bennett will be held at 2 p.m. today, February 22, in the New Hope United Methodist Church with burial in the church cemetery.

Major Joseph L. Hodges III

Major Joseph L. Hodges III, 59, of Las Vegas, NV, formerly of South Boston, died February 16 at University Medical Center in Las Vegas.
Major Hodges was born in Wilmington, NC, June 9, 1942, the son of the late Joseph L. Hodges Jr. and Martha T. Hodges and was married to Patricia Hodges. He was a retired Major with the United States Air Force having served as a fighter pilot in Vietnam.
Survivors include his wife; his mother of South Boston; one daughter, Laura Hodges of San Francisco, CA; one son, Joseph L. Hodges IV of Alexandria; one stepdaughter, Alicia Westmoreland of Las Vegas; two stepsisters, Jackie Dark of Easley, SC and Bobbie Kirkpatrick of Bradenton, FL; one stepbrother, Dave Rockwood of Ft. Lauderdale, FL; one grandchild; and one step-grandchild.
A memorial service will be held March 2 at noon at Trinity Episcopal Church in South Boston.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the South Boston-Halifax County Museum of Fine Arts and History, PO Box 383, South Boston.

Lacey Elizabeth Wright
Jessica Darlene Wright
Christina Inez Wright

Funeral services are incomplete for three sisters, Lacey Elizabeth Wright, 14, Jessica Darlene Wright, 13, and Christina Inez Wright, 11. All three died Wednesday, February 20, 2002, in a fire at their residence at 2041 Hunting Creek Church Road in Nathalie.
They were the daughters of Angela Wright Cash of the home in Nathalie and Richard Allen Wright of Iowa Park, Texas.
Survivors include their mother and stepfather, Angela and Marvin Cash; father, Richard Allen Wright; one sister, Catherine Lynn Hessinger of MS; one brother, Wayne Allen Wright of Nathalie; maternal grandparents, Wayne and Elizabeth Richardson of Fayetteville, NC; paternal grandparents, Roy and Darlene Wright of Iowa Park; a great-aunt, Lorene Dyer of South Boston; step-grandparents, Dean and Virginia Womack of Crystal Hill.
Remains rest at Powell Funeral Home.