A second body was recovered Sunday afternoon from the Santee home that went up in flames, with a married couple believed to be inside.
The couple lived on Clifford Heights Road and neighbors say that the Clifford Heights Road couple had big money problems and felt desperate.
The bodies were found in the charred home after a man telephoned authorities and said he killed his wife and was torching the home before killing himself. Investigators said the calleer threatened to shoot anyone who attempted to put out the blaze. With firefighters unable to approach the home, it was quickly destroyed by the flames.
The names of the couple found in the burned home haven't been released by officials, but what is known is that Michael Cour, 60, shared the home with his wife, Janice Gervais, 70.
Neighbors said the coupl lived in the home since 1999, and that both of them worked as professors at a college at night and recently lost their jobs. That's when financial problems started adding up.
A neighbor said Cour told her that the couple applied for loan modifications six times and that all of them were denied.
Adding to their troubles was an illness. Ruth Taloza, who lives across the street from the burned home, said she had a brief conversation Saturday with Cour.
"He mentioned that his wife was sick with cancer -- that just broke my heart," Taloza said.
