The bodies of three people, at least some of them peppered with gunshot wounds to the head, have been pulled from a Tampa Bay mansion investigators report belongs to former tennis star James Blake.
According to Deadspin.com, the 5,800-square-foot home burst into flames sometime early Wednesday morning and the discovery of the bodies was made as authorities arrived to battle the flames. The website adds a spokesperson for the James Blake Foundation has told investigators the retired tennis star was not at home at the time of the incident.
Source: bodies found in burning mansion in Avila had heavy duty fireworks wrapped around their heads. Owner is tennis star James Blake.
— Meredyth Censullo (@MeredythTV) May 7, 2014
Deadspin also reports the bodies had heavy duty fireworks wrapped around their heads, apparently to make certain the remains burned even quicker and might make it less possible for investigators to identify the victims. The website adds the home had also been riddled throughout with other high-powered explosives.
Within hours of arriving at the scene, authorities were able to bring the blaze under control and investigators are now presumably still combing through the scene.
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Deadspin reports the 33-year-old Blake bought the home for $1.5 million in 2005 and reportedly was renting it out at the time of the blaze. The former Harvard student rose to as high as No. 4 in the world rankings and reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in back-to-back years beginning in 2005.
A 10-time career title winner, Blake announced his retirement at the end of the 2013 season after netting nearly $8 million in overall prize money.
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