MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: The Day-Stewart Family
A Chicago house fire killed a firefighter’s wife and their three children. The city called it a tragic accident. But as we pulled records and spoke with those who knew the family best, the story began to unravel. This is the untold story of the Day-Stewart family fire.
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Summer Day and her children. From left to right: Emory, Summer, Ezra, and Autumn Day-Stewart.
Courtesy: Day Family
Summer Day-Stewart
Courtesy: Day Family
The Day-Stewart children. From left to right: Ezra, Autumn, and Emory.
Emory Day-Stewart
Courtesy: Day Family
Walter Sean Stewart
Courtesy: Day Family
Sean Stewart’s mugshot
Credit: Chicago Police Department
Arson expert, Dale Reisen
Courtesy: Dale Reisen
The front door of the Day-Stewart house on the night of the fire.
Credit: Chicago Fire Department
The bottle of Jack Daniel’s on the floor by Summer’s bed.
Credit: Chicago Fire Department
The cups and cans near Summer’s bed
Credit: Chicago Fire Department
The smoke alarm upstairs
Credit: Chicago Fire Department
One of the Kidde batteries found on the floor.
Credit: Chicago Fire Department
The pot on the stove that Dale theorizes had oil in it.
Credit: Chicago Fire Department
The metal can on the floor by the stove that the Chicago Police Department sent off for testing.
Credit: Chicago Fire Department
A close-up of the stove knob that was turned to high.
Credit: Chicago Fire Department
Surveillance footage of Sean at the grocery store on the morning of the fire.
Courtesy: Chicago Police Department
Timeline:
January 4, 2022
January 4, 2022
Walter Sean Stewart is arrested on a domestic battery charge.
March 1, 2022
March 1, 2022
Summer Day is granted a protective order against Sean.
March 7, 2023
March 7, 2023
6 a.m.
Sean reports for duty at a Chicago firehouse.
8:29–8:47 a.m.
Sean is captured on surveillance video shopping at Jerry’s Fruit & Garden in Niles.
About 7-7:30 p.m.
Summer speaks with her friend, Cleo, about traveling to Oregon the next day.
About 8–8:40 p.m.
Investigators believe the fire began in the kitchen, based on fire conditions and expert estimates.
9:09 p.m.
A neighbor calls 911 to report a fire at the Day-Stewart home.
March 8, 2023
March 8, 2023
7-year-old Ezra Day-Stewart dies.
March 9, 2023
March 9, 2023
Summer Day-Stewart dies.
March 10, 2023
March 10, 2023
9-year-old Autumn Day-Stewart passes away.
2-year-old Emory Day-Stewart passes away.
The Chicago Fire Department rules the cause of the fire as “undetermined suspended” and suspends the investigation.
August 12, 2023
August 12, 2023
The Chicago Police Department classifies the deaths as noncriminal and closes the case.
The Day-Stewart Residence
The family home where a fire killed Summer Day-Stewart and her three children, Autumn, Ezra, and Emory.
Jerry’s Fruit & Garden
The grocery store where Sean was seen on surveillance footage the morning of the fire.
Tony’s Fresh Market
Another grocery store Sean visited the morning of the fire.
Chicago Fire Department - Engine 119
The firehouse where Sean was on duty when the fire was reported.
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Episode Source Material
Original Reporting by Jennifer Amell
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS
- Chicago Police Department investigative file on Day-Stewart Fire via FOIA
- Chicago Police Department evidence videos of surveillance camera footage via FOIA
- Chicago Fire Department investigative file on fire at Day-Stewart home and fire scene photographs via FOIA
- Chicago Fire Department Internal Affairs report on Walter Stewart via FOIA
- Cook County Medical Examiner reports on Summer Day, Autumn Day-Stewart, Ezra Day-Stewart, and Emory Day-Stewart via FOIA
- Chicago Police Department Arrest Report for Walter Stewart via FOIA
- Cook County Circuit Court Order of Protection, petitioned by Summer Day against Walter Stewart via FOIA
- Cook County Circuit Court certified statement of conviction/disposition of charges against Walter Stewart, case# 22DV7002301 via FOIA
- United States District Court Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division: Walter Sean Stewart, Special Representative of the Estates of Summer Michelle Day-Stewart, Autumn Sara Day-Stewart, Ezra Nova Day-Stewart, Emory Scott Day-Stewart v. Walter Kidde Portable Equipment Inc. d/b/a Kidde Safety Equipment filed 06/23/2025, case #1:25-cv-03792, accessed by online case database.
NEWS AND ACADEMIC SOURCES
- March 7, 2023 Weather History in Chicago, IL United States from Weather Spark website: https://weatherspark.com/h/d/14091/2023/3/7/Historical-Weather-on-Tuesday-March-7-2023-in-Chicago-Illinois-United-States#Figures-Temperature
- FireRescue1 (Lexipol Media Group-Frisco, TX): Chicago firefighter’s wife, 3 children critically injured in fire, By Deanese Williams-Harris. Published March 8, 2023. Accessed May 16, 2025. https://www.firerescue1.com/injury/articles/chicago-firefighters-wife-3-children-critically-injured-in-fire-E6SthrjjMcYwvwEY/
- CBS News (Chicago, IL): Chicago firefighter’s wife, 3 kids critically injured in Montclare house fire, by Marissa Perlman, Noel Brennan, Asal Rezaei. Published March 8, 2023. Accessed May 16, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/multiple-injuries-montclare-fire/
- FOX32 (Chicago, IL): Fire at Chicago firefighter’s home leaves child dead, family critically injured, by Kasey Chronis. Published March 8, 2023. Accessed May 16, 2025. https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/fire-chicago-firefighters-home-family-critically-injured
- Engine 119, Truck 55, Ambulance 39, Battalion 11 Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoFireDeptE119/
- The Chicago Sun-Times (Chicago, IL): 7-year-old son of Chicago firefighter dies from injuries suffered in a house fire that also injured his two sisters and their mother, by David Struett. Published March 9, 2023. Accessed May 16, 2025 via Internet Archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20230309135219/https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2023/3/8/23630231/montclare-house-fire-ezra-stewart-cfd
- Montclare, Chicago Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montclare,_Chicago
- Block Club Chicago (Chicago, IL): Mom Killed With 3 Children In House Fire Was Set To Leave For West Coast To Help Friend With Cancer, by Mack Liederman. Published March 16, 2023. Updated March 19, 2023. Accessed May 16, 2025. https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/03/16/mom-killed-with-3-children-in-house-fire-was-set-to-leave-for-west-coast-to-help-friend-with-cancer/
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders: Insomnia in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study on Clinical Correlates and Parental Stress by Berloco, Biana, et al. Published October 30, 2022. Abstract accessed via Springer Nature Link https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-022-05793-8?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- CBS News Chicago, newsreel via Youtube, published March 11, 2023. Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0j2FwLSwCI
- Cleveland Clinic: Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), published 04/11/2022, accessed via: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22689-blood-alcohol-content-bac?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- GoodRx: Can You Combine Alcohol and Phentermine? 3 Reasons Why It’s Not A Good Idea, by Evans, Alex, published December 18, 2023 and accessed via: https://www.goodrx.com/phentermine/alcohol-phentermine-interaction?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- National Library of Medicine: Lorazepam, published on May 25, 2024 by Ghiasi, Norman, et al, abstract accessed via: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532890/
- Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Studies: Clinical Pharmacology of lorazepam in infants and children by Pacifici, Gian Maria, published January 3, 2022, accessed via Auctores Online via: https://auctoresonline.org/article/clinical-pharmacology-of-lorazepam-in-infants-and-children?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- Litwiller- Simonsen Funeral home & Crematory: Obituary for Chloe Boyle accessed via: https://www.litwillersimonsen.com/obituaries/Chloe-Boyle?obId=31561598
- Crisis House: The Cycle of Abuse and How to Break It, published May 29, 2023 accessed via: https://crisishouse.org/blog/the-cycle-of-abuse-and-how-to-break-it/#:~:text=Walker%20in%201979%2C%20designed%20to,love%2C%20intimacy%2C%20and%20charm.
- The Journal of Emergency Medicine: Non-fatal Strangulation is an Important Risk Factor for Homicide of Woman (Vol. 25, Issue 3) published October 2008 by Glass, Nancy et al. accessed via Science Direct: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0736467907004143
- National Fire Protection Association: Installing and Maintaining Smoke Alarms accessed via: https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/smoke-alarms/installing-and-maintaining-smoke-alarms
- Kidde: Sealed Lithium Battery power Carbon Monoxide Alarm (C3010) accessed via: https://www.kidde.com/products/carbon-monoxide-alarms/10-year-battery-power-carbon-monoxide-alarm
- National Library of Medicine: Psychiatry (Edgmont) published February 4, 2007 by West, Sara accessed via: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2922347/
- Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal: Arson FAQs accessed via: https://sfm.illinois.gov/about/divisions/arson/arson-faqs.html
- CBS News Chicago: Chicago Firefighter Struck, Killed Wife With SUV In What Was Ruled Accident; High-Ranking Officials Take Issue With How Matter Was Handled by CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov published October 2, 2020, accessed via: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-firefighter-wife-killed-accident-fire-department/
MISC DOCUMENTS:
- Collated timeline of Summer Day and Walter Stewart life events prepared and delivered to reporter by Sarah Day and Amber Day
- Collated documentation entitled “Mandated Report” and containing alleged abuse witness statements, text screenshots, and pictures– prepared by Chloe Boyle and delivered to reporter by Amber Day and Sarah Day
- Reisen Fire Facts of the Case, prepared and delivered to reporter by Dale Reisen.
- Reisen Fire Consultants: Notes from case file generated and delivered to reporter by Dale Reisen
- Speaker of the House Property Inspections: Home Inspection Report by Michael Massart prepared 3/19/2021, delivered to reporter by Sarah Day and Amber Day
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