On 04/13/2003 at approximately 4 a.m., 19yr old Erin DeMarco was killed in a house fire at 64 East 17th Avenue near Waldeck Avenue, east of The Ohio State University campus. This house fire claimed the lives of five students, Erin DeMarco, Kyle Raulin, Christine Wilson, Alan Schlessman and Andrea Dennis. Two of the students who died were Ohio State students, and three others were students at Ohio University in Athens. Investigators now know the fire was intentionally set and the point of origin was the front door. They said there was a party at the apartment complex that about 75 to 100 people attended Saturday night. The party ended about 3:30 a.m., and the fire started at about 4 a.m. It took 100 firefighters one hour to put the fire out. It was believed that 15 to 20 people were inside the home when the blaze started. All five people who died were trapped on the second floor. Four were in one room, while another was alone in a separate room. A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and indictment of person(s) involved in the murder of these five students. Anyone with information on this fire is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS.
Anyone with additional information or questions regarding this case should submit a tip.