An Ohio firefighter is said to have responded to help fight a fire at the home of a woman he is accused of murdering.
In a post posted on Facebook, the County Sheriff’s Office said firefighters rushed to a home in Ansonia, Ohio, on Friday, April 10, to put out a raging fire, and while searching the charred, smoking remains of the house, they came across a body. Ericka Kramer.
Kramer, 50, was a mother and well-known varsity cheerleading coach.
He was charged with murder Peyton Beam“he was called as a firefighter to respond to the incident” and ended up being “one of the first people on the scene when the house was on fire,” prosecutors said during his hearing, WHIO reported.
Beam, 22, is charged with aggravated arson and murder. He was a member of the Ansonia Volunteer Fire Department.
Investigators say they have evidence that shows Kramer — who was shot and killed — was in the home before the fire, according to WHIO.
Four bullets killed Kramer, who police said was shot in the back and head, police said. Beam then doused the body with gasoline before setting it on fire and running away.
But Beam’s attorney, John Rionhe reportedly told local outlets that his client considers Kramer “like a second mother,” and would never do anything to harm her. Rion also said Beam did Kramer’s farm work.
The Ansonia Athletic Department posted on Facebook, noting that it was “sad to hear of the passing of our Varsity Cheerleading coach, Ericka Kramer,” and said she will be “greatly missed.”
The dictionary details her claims that Kramer had a “strange and unbreakable” relationship with her daughter.
“A love so deep that it defined her entire world. Everything she did was based on that connection, and the joy she found in being a mother was reflected in every part of her life,” the obituary said.
“Ericka will be remembered for her boundless kindness and selflessness. She was the type of person who would give the shirt off her back without hesitation, always putting others before herself. Her warmth, generosity, and genuine spirit made the world a better place, and words really fall short of capturing how amazing she was.”
Rion could not be reached for comment on Friday, April 17. Us Weekly also could not be sure if Beam had applied.
He was remanded in custody without bond.
