Fraternity Hunting Trip Turns Deadly as Fire Kills 2 College Students

Two University of Alabama students were killed when a fire tore through a home during a hunting trip with two of their fraternity brothers, authorities said.

The deadly blaze broke out at about 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1, at a residence off Stowers Timberland Road in Evergreen, Alabama, according to the Conecuh County Coroner’s Office.

Four people were inside the home when the fire erupted.

Two occupants managed to escape and were taken to a hospital for treatment, officials said. Their conditions were not immediately released.

The other two victims were unable to make it out.

“Tragically, two occupants succumbed to injuries sustained in the fire and were pronounced deceased at the scene,” the coroner’s office said.

Authorities identified the victims as James Hensley II, 19, and Mark Mostellar, 21, both from Mobile.

The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation by the Conecuh County Coroner’s Office, Evergreen Police Department and Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Police said they were withholding further details out of respect for the victims’ families and to avoid compromising the investigation.

“The Evergreen Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by this tragic loss,” the department said.

Hensley and Mostellar were reportedly studying business at the University of Alabama and were members of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

The two students had traveled to the hunting camp with two of their fraternity brothers, according to local station WKRG.

Mostellar was a graduate of UMS-Wright Preparatory School, where he played outside linebacker on the football team.

Former head coach Terry Curtis remembered him as a curious young athlete who was always looking for ways to improve.

“McNeil asked a lot of questions, and when he first started asking, I thought he was trying to be funny and cute and make a joke out of something or whatever,” Curtis told WKRG. “But as he became a good football player, he was asking questions to help make him a better player.”

Hensley graduated from St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile. The school held a vigil in his memory on Wednesday.

The University of Alabama said it was mourning alongside the students’ families, friends and fraternity brothers.

“The University of Alabama community mourns alongside loved ones of students James Walter Hensley and Mark Mostellar,” a university spokesperson said. “University staff are contacting their families, fraternity and other impacted students.”

Counseling and support services have also been made available to affected students as the campus community grieves the devastating loss.