Lester Holt

Delbert came to my mom and told her that he was marrying Allison.

After the fire that killed his mother, Patricia Lee, John Michael was adjusting to life with his Aunt Sharon and his cousins.

Was he really processing what was happening, being six years old?

I think he processed it as much as he could.

My mom and I would talk to him about, you know, mommy's in heaven and that she was always going to be watching over him.

What do you say to a six-year-old who just lost his mom?

Yeah.

The adjustment was painful and slow.

It was a different story for his father.

You get some bombshell news not too long after the fire.

Delbert came to my mom and told her that he was marrying Allison.

It was just six weeks after the fire and Delbert was already engaged.

There would soon be a new Mrs. Mills.

Allison was Allison Newman, a divorced mom who shared custody of three young girls with her ex.

Allison was always very outgoing.

Keisha Ringland was a neighbor of Allison's who babysat for her daughters.

She was very kind and compassionate.

She was somebody that was so easy to talk to.

Allison was no stranger to Patricia Lee's family.

She had briefly dated Delbert's brother and had lived with Delbert and Patricia Lee before the fire.