The Buzbee Law Firm has filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Brett Kirk, a man who lost his wife and two children to carbon monoxide poisoning in Nacogdoches in June 2025.
On Thursday, June 12, Amy Manning Kirk, 52, and her children, William Manning Kirk, 22, and John Standley Kirk, 17, were found dead at 4311 Mystic Lane after police were called to the home for a welfare check. At the time, Nacogdoches Police Sgt. Brett Ayres said, “Upon arrival, first responders found three adults deceased within the residence. There appeared to be no signs of foul play concerning any of the victims. Although it is early in the investigation, carbon monoxide poisoning is being considered as a potential cause.”
According to the suit, the Kirk family had purchased the Mystic Lane home as a second residence and, during renovations, replaced the pool heater. The complaint alleges that Duran Pools installed a natural gas pool heater but connected it to propane without performing the required conversion, leading to high levels of carbon monoxide exhaust entering the home. The lawsuit further claims the heater was placed too close to the structure, violating local and national codes.
Also named in the suit are Perry Propane and Crawford Plumbing, which were involved in the installation and connection process, as well as Hayward Products, the heater’s manufacturer. The lawsuit seeks more than $50 million in damages and requests a jury trial.
Court filings allege the improper installation and placement of the heater directly caused the carbon monoxide buildup that killed Mrs. Kirk and her sons.
Amy Manning Kirk graduated from Lufkin High School and traveled to Eastborn, England, as a Rotary exchange student. She later graduated from Texas A&M University before attending graduate school at Louisiana State University, where she earned both a master’s degree and a PhD in Sociology.
William Manning Kirk was a recent graduate of Clemson University and had planned to attend graduate school at the University of Texas in the fall.
John Standley Kirk was a student at Kingwood High School.
“Pool heaters are routinely placed too close to structures; Hayward Products sells pool heaters that are configured for natural gas, and does a terrible job of informing the public that in order to use them with propane, a conversion must occur. Duran Pools and the other contractors involved completely missed this important step in the installation of this pool heater. It is also important that everyone who reads about this case check to ensure their pool heater is more than five feet from their structure. We hope this case raises awareness to make sure that you pool heaters are properly converted and sufficiently spaced from the structure to prevent this from taking another family," said lead counsel Tony Buzbee.
