An Ohio firefighter stands accused of murdering a woman he regarded as a second mother, who also served as a varsity cheerleading coach.
The Darke County Sheriff’s Office announced via Facebook that firefighters were called to a blaze in Ansonia, Ohio, on April 10, where they discovered the body of 50-year-old Ericka Kramer. Authorities claim that Peyton Beam, a firefighter, allegedly ignited the fire at Kramer’s residence before taking her life.
During a bond hearing, as reported by WHIO, the prosecutor’s office stated, “Under the guise of being a firefighter, he was among the first responders to arrive at the property as the house was engulfed in flames.”
Beam, who serves with the Ansonia Volunteer Fire Department, faces charges of aggravated murder and aggravated arson.
According to an obituary, Ericka Kramer shared an “extraordinary and unbreakable” relationship with her daughter.
Officials reported that Kramer was inside her home just minutes before the fire erupted, and during the hearing, prosecutors revealed that Kramer sustained four gunshot wounds.
“The victim in this matter was executed by the defendant. She was shot twice in the back and twice in the head,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Peyton Beam was arrested on murder charges after allegedly killing Ericka Kramer. (Miami Valley Jails)
Prosecutors said it’s their belief that Beam lit Kramer’s gasoline-drenched body on fire and left the house.
John Rion, Beam’s attorney, said the suspect did farm work with Kramer and called her a second mother, adding that he would never hurt her.
“We’d be very interested in ballistics in this case, very interested in any evidence other than inference,” Rion said.
Beam’s bond was set at $5 million.
Ericka Kramer was a varsity cheer coach and a mother of one child. (Ericka Kramer/Facebook)
Kramer was a varsity cheerleading coach at Ansonia Local School in addition to being a mother of one child.
“The Ansonia Athletic Department is saddened to hear of the passing of our Varsity Cheerleading Head Coach, Ericka Kramer. Coach Ericka will be deeply missed. Please keep the Kramer Family in your thoughts and prayers. FOREVER A TIGER,” the school wrote in a Facebook post.
According to an obituary for Kramer, she had an “extraordinary and unbreakable” bond with her daughter, which shaped her life.
“A love so deep that it defined her entire world. Everything she did was rooted in that connection, and the joy she found in being a mother shone through in every part of her life,” the obituary states. “Ericka will be remembered for her boundless kindness and selflessness. She was the kind 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 truly fall short in capturing just how remarkable she was.”
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