Dads thank community for support

NORWALK — A probation sentence for a Norwalk mother charged in relation to her 8-year-old son's death in a 2023 house fire angered many who felt the sentence was too lenient. But both the boy's father and the father of his step-brother — a then-10-year-old who was seriously hurt in the blaze — called for healing and expressed a desire to move on while thanking the community for its support following the tragedy. Drew Duchette is the father of Wyatt Duchette, who was killed when a fire ripped through the East Main Street home of his mother, Dakota Jones, in 2023. Darren Burke is the father of Wyatt's half-brother Paxton Burke, who suffered serious injuries in the blaze. What happened The fire took place June 7, 2023, when Jones left the boys unattended while she ran an errand. During the time she was gone, a fire ravaged the home. Wyatt died and Paxton was seriously injured. An investigation revealed a pipe left on a living room couch was the probable ignition source. The pipe later tested positive for methamphetamine residue, according to then-assistant Norwalk police chief Michael Biller. Jones was charged with five counts of endangering children and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Jones, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of child endangering last week in Huron County Common Pleas court in exchange for the dismissal of the other charges and was sentenced to five years of community supervision by Judge James Conway. Thanking the community Many in the community, via social media posts, expressed outrage over what they viewed as a light sentence. The boys' fathers preferred to focus on the outpouring of support they have received from the community and their next steps moving forward after the verdict. "I want to thank the public, especially the EMS, fire department and the prosecutor for all the support during this time," Duchette said. Burke also thanked the Akron Children's Hospital burn unit staff for caring for his son Paxton for nine days following the fire. "I really need to thank the community, first responders, and Akron's Children's Hospital staff; they are amazing," Burke said. "The toughest thing I have ever had to go through was watching him go through his treatments and be in so much pain." Both fathers felt consoled by the community, including those who put out yard signs and the strangers who stopped them on the street to offer their condolences for children they didn't personally know. "People I didn't even know would come up to me and offer their condolences, even though I could tell it was uncomfortable to them," Burke said. "But it brought a sense of peace. Thank you." Moving forward Now, the fathers are focused on their surviving children and raising them together as siblings. Both intend that Paxton and Harlee, 7, Duchette's daughter, spend as much time together as possible, including frequent sleepovers and activities, to ensure they continue to form a sibling bond. "Drew and I co-parented before the fire, and it has brought us closer, as well as the children," Burke said. Both fathers said they want Jones to continue to be a part of her children's lives and want supervised visitations to continue. "We want her to see the children, but safely," Burke said. Both men were present at court for Jones' sentence. They both expressed some disappointment in the verdict while acknowledging that, regardless of the punishment, their lives will never be the same. "Nothing can bring my son back and, at the end of the day, nothing can make you feel good," Duchette said. "I'm not exactly happy with the verdict, but what could (the judge) have given to make me happy? Five years? A hundred?" Burke added. "Wyatt is gone, and Paxton and Harlee's lives are changed forever, regardless." 'Tell people you love them' The hurt the men feel is palpable, with both fathers struggling with the same feelings but in different ways. "I saw my son under a sheet, and it is the most pain I have ever, or could ever, have felt," Duchette said. "My daughter lost her best friend." When asked what message he had for Jones, Duchette wanted her to know he had forgiven her and considered the fire an accident. "I want her to understand. I know she didn't do it on purpose, and I want no harm to come to her," Duchette said. "My son was the best kid on Earth, and I want her to know that. I want her to take what a great person our son was and make herself a better person." Duchette also advised people in the community not to take their families for granted, that life can change quickly and to take fire safety precautions. "I hope nobody has to ever deal with what we have. I dropped my son off, and 30 minutes later, he was dead," Duchette said. "Tell people you love them and give them hugs, don't take it for granted, and make sure your home has fire alarms; they could save lives." A representative from the state fire marshal's office previously said the house did not have working smoke detectors when the fire broke out. The house's owners previously told the Reflector that the house had three smoke detectors, and two of them melted off the wall during the fire. They disputed the fire marshal's statement that the smoke detectors were not working. Editor's note: The Reflector is planning to speak with Dakota Jones for an upcoming news story. Check back in the coming days.