Dad left his three children to perish in house fire because he 'panicked,' cops say as devastated mom reveals 'disgusting' home life

Published: 17:46, 27 April 2026 | Updated: 17:56, 27 April 2026 A Wisconsin father is facing a slew of child neglect charges after he allegedly left his three children to perish in a holiday house fire.  Joshua Kannin, 39, is accused of leaving his young children in his burning Kenosha home on Thanksgiving while he dashed outside because he 'panicked.'  Rylee, 10; Connor, 9; and Alena, 7, all died in the blaze, which 'fully engulfed' his home, according to a criminal complaint obtained by NY Post. Kenosha police responded to 911 calls on November 27, 2025, where a distressed Kannin - clad only in his underwear - was begging for help, according to the complaint.  First responders found the two brothers on the first floor and the young daughter on the second floor.  The two boys died at the scene, while Alena was taken to the hospital with severe burns covering a staggering 80 percent of her body. The 7-year-old later died.  Kannin was also hospitalized following the blaze. The 39-year-old reportedly admitted to smoking a cigarette before bed, according to the outlet.  He jolted awake in the middle of the night, unsure if it was because his 'cat making noise' or the smoke, the complaint stated.  Joshua Kannin, 39, is accused of leaving his young children in the fiery home Rylee, 10; Connor, 9; and Alena, 7, all died in the blaze at the Kenosha, Wisconsin home The two boys died at the scene, while Alena was taken to the hospital with severe burns covering a staggering 80 percent of her body, she later died The father went into the kitchen, where he saw a 'little fire' before he 'panicked and walked out the front door.' 'At that moment, he thought to himself, "I have to get help,"' according to police. The father also told authorities he tried to go back inside the burning home, but the smoke plumes were too thick and he 'couldn’t see.' 'I barely got two steps in and I had to turn back around,' Kannin told police. 'When I opened the door, I made it worse.' Firefighters discovered there were no smoke detectors in the 39-year-old's home, following an investigation. Kannin allegedly told authorities his smoke detector would frequently 'malfunction' and randomly 'make sounds,' so he took it down.  The father also had boards plastered over the windows to 'prevent burglaries,' WITI reported. Investigators found that a stovetop burner was left on, court filings obtained by the outlet said. The filings stated that the kitchen seemed to be where the fire broke out.  Investigators also found evidence that two of the children possibly went into the kitchen to make their own food before the blaze started. Firefighters discovered there were no smoke detectors in the 39-year-old's home The father also had boards plastered over the windows to 'prevent burglaries' The kids' devastated mother, Jourdan Feasby, spoke out to CBS58, calling her ex's apartment 'disgusting,' describing it as 'fend for yourself in a sense.' 'I was on him about not having the smoke detectors, I let his mother know who cleaned his house once a week that there were no smoke detectors, I let the landlord know there were no smoke detectors,' Feasby told the outlet. Stricken with grief, she says she’s 'just a shell' and that she died with her children that day.  'It’s just been pure hell for myself and my family. I’m literally living my worst nightmare,' Feasby said to the outlet. Stricken with grief, Jourdan Feasby says she’s 'just a shell' ever since her children died  Feasby said she is living her 'worst nightmare' following the death of her children The fire was ruled an 'accidental common household fire,' with investigators saying there was no evidence the father intentionally set the fire. Feasby told the outlet she is 'bittersweet' about the charges placed on her ex, adding that she will push for justice and that there needs to be 'serious repercussions.'  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.