FAYETTE — A sheriff’s office investigation has ruled out foul play in the July 24 death of Victor Heidelberg.

Heidelberg’s remains were discovered burned beyond recognition in what was left of his Avondale Road home following a house fire the night before. Jefferson County Sheriff Peter Walker said he was led to believe at the time Heidelberg might have died under suspicious circumstances.

“When (the fire) first happened, we didn’t know what was what,” Walker said.

Heidelberg had spoken with several people the night he died, shortly before the fire, Walker said.

“I can’t get into the extent of the conversations, but because of the type of conversation he had and the people he had it with, it would put some thoughts in my mind that something could have happened or he could have done something to himself, so I started an investigation,” Walker said.

At this point, though, he said, he has no reason to believe the conversations played any part in Heidelberg’s death. Walker also said smoke was found in Heidelberg’s airways.

A fire marshal investigated the scene but has yet to get results back from the crime lab, and the cause of the fire remains unknown, Walker said. He said he anticipates that the results should be back within a week.

Heidelberg’s remains were found in an area where a bedroom would have been located on the second floor, Walker said, and no one else was in the house at the time of the fire.