6-5-2014 Ohio:The City of Fostoria has released the names of two people killed and a third person injured in a weekend fire. The fire on South Poplar Street has since been ruled arson.
Danny Joe Marker, 48 and Tara Lynn Vance, 44, were killed in the fire. Dana Weatherall, 49, was taken to a Toledo hospital by air ambulance. Weatherall's condition is unknown at this time.
Three people are behind bars after being charged with setting the fire. All faced a judge for the first time on Tuesday morning.
Fostoria Police and Fire Division, along with the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office and Seneca County Prosecutor's Office, determined Monday's house fire on South Poplar Street was the result of arson.
Shey Weiker, Charles Schaeffer and Timothy Hall have all been formally charged with a number of crimes related to the fire:
- Weiker, 31, is charged with 4 counts of aggravated arson, 2 counts of aggravated murder, 1 count of attempted aggravated murder, and 1 count of tampering with evidence.
- Schaeffer, 44, is charged with 4 counts of complicity to commit aggravated arson, 2 counts of complicity to commit aggravated murder, and 1 count of complicity to commit attempted aggravated murder.
- Hall, 20, is charged with 4 counts of complicity to commit aggravated arson, 2 counts of complicity to commit aggravated murder, 1 count of complicity to commit attempted aggravated murder, and 1 count of complicity to tampering with evidence.
If convicted, each suspect could be sentenced to death or life in prison.
In court, Weiker and Hall's bond was set at $2 million. Schaeffer's bond was set at $1.5 million. All three remain in jail until they can pay 10 percent of the bond.
When the front porch of the home caught fire, Marker, Vance and Weatherall were inside the home. All three are believed to be deaf.
"The heat was so intense, we could feel it from across the street," said neighbor Gary Zimmerman.
Firefighters found Marker and Vance dead inside. Weatherall, who broke a window to escape, was found lying in the backyard.
A neighbor said escaping the inferno would have been tough, since Marker nailed his backdoor shut to avoid being robbed.
"His brother told me that people were breaking into his house, beating him up and stealing his money. Nobody deserves that," said Zimmerman.
Family members of Weiker say this is all a big misunderstanding. They say she has a close connection to one of the victims who died -- but not in a good way. Weiker's sister says she is innocent.
"She's a good person, she really is. My sister is not a murderer. None of them are," said Aileen Weiker. "She's got babies. It's too much."
Aileen says Shey knew Marker, who was deaf and partially blind. Aileen says there was bad blood between the two, and they did not get along because of an incident in the past.
Records show Shey was also married to Marker's brother, Shane, at one point. ..Source.. by Crystal Clark
Police: Sex abuse allegation led to Ohio home fire
One of the suspects charged in a house fire that killed two people who were hearing impaired acted out of revenge after accusing the home's owner of sexually abusing a child, a detective said in court.
Three people have been charged in connection with the fire on May 26 that was ruled arson.
Fostoria police had been looking into the abuse allegations made against Danny Marker Jr. before the fire, but the investigation wasn't going fast enough for one of the suspects and the group then took part in setting the fire, detective Shilo Frankart said at a preliminary hearing.
Marker, 48, and Tara Lynn Vance, 44, were killed and another woman, Dana Weatherall, 49, was injured.
State public records show Marker was a registered sex offender.
The two women, who knew Marker through attending the Ohio School for the Deaf, were visiting him but did not live at the home, according to his family members.
Investigators have said one of the suspects tossed a railroad flare at the house, igniting the fire.
Shane Marker told media outlets that his brother smelled smoke and called his mom, but the fire had engulfed the house by the time his family and firefighters arrived.
Police have charged Shey Weiker with aggravated murder and aggravated arson. Charges against Charles Schaeffer and Timothy Hall include complicity to commit aggravated murder and complicity to commit arson.
They were being held on bond. Attorneys for all three have not returned messages seeking comment. ..Source.. by seattlePI
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