Firefighters risked their lives to rescue a man from a burning building.

But they were too late.

The medical examiner found evidence that the victim suffered through more than the smoke and flames.

They used to say the dead men tell no tales, but nowadays, dead men tell a lot.

Around 5 o'clock in the morning on July 16, 1992, a motorist saw a house on fire in the residential area of Danville, Illinois.

He ran to a nearby home for help.

I opened the door, his eyes were huge and he said, call 911.

Within minutes, the firemen arrived.

Neighbors assumed the homeowner was away.

Someone had opened the garage door and his car was gone.

So we, at that time, then thought, well, good, he's not home.

That he's hopefully, okay, he's just out for breakfast.

We fought the fire. It was quite intense.

Came back out on the porch and then went back in again to introduce him overhaul and that's when we saw him.

It was the owner, 68-year-old Charles Lynch known as Jack DeFriends.

Although badly burned, Lynch was identified through dental records.

I wish no one would have to see anything like that.

Someone that has been burned to that degree is, I don't know, it's hard for us to explain.

Jack Lynch was a lifelong bachelor with no children,

but he treated the neighborhood children like his own.

He was always there for me when I was a kid.

So it was like he was there for my generation and he was there for my kids when they were young.

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