Twin Lakes High School junior, her mother die in Monticello house fire

MONTICELLO, Ind. (WISH) — A Twin Lakes High School junior and her mother died in a house fire early Thursday morning in Monticello, the school district’s superintendent said Thursday night.

Twin Lakes High School junior Mya Thompson and her mother, Stephanie Thompson, a former Twin Lakes volleyball coach, died in the fire, said the Thursday message from Twin Lakes Superintendent Debbie Metzger. Counselors are available for the community at any time, the message says.

An Indiana State Police news release issued Friday night said Stephanie Thompson was a sergeant with their agency since Dec. 13, 1998. The state police release also says Mya Thompson was age 17.

Emergency crews were called just before 2 a.m. Thursday to the 3200 block of North Lakeshore Drive. That’s along the Tippecanoe River and Lake Shafer. Crews arrived to find a house fully engulfed in flames. After the fire was put out, investigators found the Thompsons dead in the home.

State police and the Indiana Fire Marshal’s office will determine the cause of the fire and how the Thompsons died.

Friday’s state police release says the Thompsons are survived by Judge Jason Thompson, husband and father, and Ayanna Thompson, daughter and sister. A GoFundMe was set up for Ayanna Thompson, who is a Purdue student, and her father. It has raised more than $27,000 as of 7 p.m. Friday. 

Monticello is about 30 miles north of Lafayette.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Statement

“The Indiana State Police family, especially those who knew and worked with Stephanie, grieves today with the Thompson family and the entire Monticello community.  Please be respectful of the family’s privacy during this time of unimaginable grief.”

Doug Carter, Indiana State Police superintendent, on Feb. 18, 2022