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An Ohio firefighter is accused of killing a woman he called his second mother, who was also a varsity cheerleading coach.
The Darke County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook that firefighters were responding to a house fire in Ansonia, Ohio, on April 10 when they found the body of Ericka Kramer, 50. Authorities say Peyton Beam, a firefighter, started the fire at Kramer’s home, killing her.
“He was called as a firefighter to respond to this incident. Disguising himself as a firefighter, he was one of the first people to arrive at the scene when the house was on fire,” the prosecutor’s office said during the bond hearing, according to WHIO.
Beam is a firefighter with the Ansonia Volunteer Fire Department. He was charged with brutal murder and brutal arson.
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Ericka Kramer had an “extraordinary and unbreakable” relationship with her daughter, according to the obituary. (Ericka Kramer/Facebook)
Officials say Kramer was in the home just minutes before the fire. Prosecutors said during the trial that Kramer was shot four times.
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“The victim in this case was killed by the defendant. He was shot twice in the back and twice in the head,” said the prosecutor’s office.
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Peyton Beam has been arrested on murder charges after allegedly killing Ericka Kramer. (Miami Valley Prisons)
Prosecutors said it is their belief that Beam set Kramer’s body on fire and then 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.
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“We would be very interested in ballistics in this case, we are very interested in any evidence other than presumptive,” Rion said.
Beam’s bond was set at $5 million.
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Ericka Kramer was a varsity cheer coach and mother of one. (Ericka Kramer/Facebook)
Kramer was the varsity cheerleading coach at Ansonia Local School in addition to being a mother of one.
“The Ansonia Athletic Department is saddened to hear of the passing of our Varsity Cheerleading Head Coach, Ericka Kramer. Coach Ericka will be greatly missed. Please keep the Kramer family in your thoughts and prayers. ALIVE TIGER,” the school wrote in a Facebook post.
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According to Kramer’s report, she had an “extraordinary and unbreakable” bond with her daughter, which changed her life.
“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 shone through 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 truly fall short of capturing how remarkable she was.”
