Peyton Beam faces added charges after Ericka Kramer was found dead in a house fire.
GREENVILLE, Ohio — A Darke County judge kept bond at $5 million for an Ansonia volunteer firefighter accused of killing a woman, burning her home and returning to the scene as part of the fire response.
The decision kept Peyton W. Beam, 22, in jail while prosecutors pursue aggravated murder, aggravated arson, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse charges in the death of Ericka Michele Kramer, 50. The case has moved quickly from an April 10 fire call to a set of court hearings focused on the strength of the state’s evidence, Beam’s role as a firefighter and the defense claim that he had no reason to hurt a woman he considered family.
Judge Travis Fliehman first set bond after prosecutors described Kramer’s killing in stark terms. They said she was shot twice in the back and twice in the head before her body was drenched in what appeared to be gasoline. They said the house was set on fire to cover up the crime. Prosecutors asked for a $20 million bond, while defense attorney John H. Rion asked that Beam be released without bond. Fliehman set bond at $5 million, cash or surety, which meant Beam would need to post 10% in cash, or $500,000, to be released under that order.
When Beam returned to court later in April, prosecutors had added two more charges: third-degree tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. Fliehman did not raise or lower the bond. “There’s really no new information before the court compared to what the court entertained a week ago at the initial appearance on the complaint,” the judge said. “So, the court will maintain and continue the bond as previously ordered, $5 million.” Beam did not say much during the hearing. Rion had filed for a bond reduction, and the judge agreed to hear that request at a later date.
The court dispute centers on what prosecutors say happened before the first 911 call. The Darke County Sheriff’s Office received the report of a house fire at 12:29 p.m. April 10 from the 2700 block of Zumbrum Road, near Ansonia. Fire crews arrived to find the home engulfed. During firefighting operations, they found Kramer dead inside. Investigators said she lived at the home and had been there minutes before the fire. Her body was taken to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office for forensic examination. Darke County Coroner Dr. Susan Brown ruled the manner of death a homicide.
Prosecutors say Beam was not only connected to the scene before the fire but also returned afterward in a role that could make him look like a helper. They said he was called out as a firefighter and was one of the first people to get to the property while it was burning. Sheriff Mark Whittaker later said Beam was aboard one of the first arriving Ansonia fire engines and entered the house with a hose along with another firefighter. The prosecution has described that return as part of the alleged coverup. Authorities have not publicly released a motive or a full evidence list.
Rion has argued that the case should be tested through physical evidence, not suspicion drawn from the unusual facts. He told the court Beam had worked for Kramer for about seven years and saw her as a second mother. He also said Beam had no criminal record and was a volunteer firefighter as well as a certified fireman. “He has no criminal record,” Rion said at the later hearing. “And even though the charges are serious, so are his constitutional rights as a presumption of innocence.” In an earlier hearing, Rion said the defense would be interested in ballistics and any evidence beyond inference.
The prosecution has not publicly answered every question the defense raised, but investigators have said they believe they have the circumstances correct. Whittaker said officials were keeping some information close because the investigation was active. Detectives arrested Beam on April 12 after what the sheriff’s office described as three days of work by a multidisciplinary team. That team included Darke County deputies, the coroner’s investigator and the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office. The added evidence and abuse counts suggest prosecutors are also examining what happened to Kramer’s body and the scene after the shooting alleged in court.
Kramer’s death has also left a gap at Ansonia Schools. The athletic department said Kramer was the varsity cheerleading head coach and said Coach Ericka would be deeply missed. Her obituary said she was born Jan. 15, 1976, in Union City, Indiana, and died April 10 at her residence. It said she gave much of herself to others and inspired young people through her work as a cheer coach. She was survived by her daughter and stepchildren and had lost her husband, David W. Kramer, in 2022. A celebration of life was scheduled for April 18 in Greenville.
The fire department has released only limited public comment while the investigation continues. The department said its thoughts were with Kramer’s family and that it wanted to protect the integrity of the investigative process. That restraint has left many operational details unanswered, including Beam’s current fire department status, whether any internal review is underway and when other responders learned he was under suspicion. Court statements so far have identified him as a volunteer firefighter who responded to the same fire that prosecutors say he started.
The case now moves on two tracks. In court, prosecutors must prove the homicide and arson charges and support the newer allegations that Beam tampered with evidence and abused a corpse. Outside court, investigators continue to process a fire scene that began as an emergency call and became a murder case. The defense has already made clear it will press for ballistics, physical proof and a lower bond. The state has framed Beam as a danger and argued that the alleged facts justify tight custody.
The next public turning point is expected at a bond or pretrial hearing, where the court may hear more about the evidence and the schedule toward trial. Currently, Beam remains held on $5 million bond in the Darke County case.
Author note: Last updated May 6, 2026.