2 men found guilty of arson and murder in firefighter's death
CINCINNATI — Two men were found guilty Wednesday of arson and murder in connection with an Ohio firefighter's death nearly two years ago.
Homeowner Lester Parker and his nephew William "Billy" Tucker were charged with murder and aggravated arson in the death of Hamilton firefighter Patrick Wolterman, who died of smoke inhalation while responding to a house fire on Dec. 28, 2015.
The two were sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 15 years but are expected to appeal.
"I consider this to be one of the most important cases because of the death of a true American hero," Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser said after the verdict. "It's important to know that justice can be served in this county and it has been."
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Prosecutors said Parker talked to Tucker on Dec. 20 and asked him to set the fire at his house in suburban Cincinnati in exchange for pills while Parker and his wife were in Las Vegas. Prosecutors said Parker wanted the money from the insurance policy.
The fire was set in the basement and the blaze weakened the floor, which caused Wolterman to fall through the floor when he entered the home, prosecutors said.
Facebook messages that Tucker sent to multiple people contained GPS locations of where he was when he sent them, Gmoser said. Gmoser said those messages put Tucker at the scene of the arson.
"His alibi goes up in smoke," Gmoser said during closing arguments on Tuesday.
Gmoser said Parker moved valuables from the home and took family pictures with him to Nevada.
"Lester took those pictures of his beloved children to Las Vegas. It is the hallmark of arson cases," Gmoser said. "They give themselves away."
Before the Butler County jury’s verdict was read Wednesday, the silence in the courtroom was broken by crying from members of Wolterman's family. Small packets of tissues were passed around.
Bre Wolterman, Patrick's widow, made a tearful statement before Butler County Common Pleas Judge Greg Stephens after the verdict. She was 31-years-old when her husband died. They had only been married for seven months.
"These two men robbed me of my whole future,” she said. “They not only took my husband from me, they took my life away. We didn't even have children yet. They took that away from me.”
Wolterman said she struggled to watch her family and other Hamilton firefighters suffer due to the loss of their friend and coworker. She asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence for two people "who had a choice."
"This has taken such a huge part of our lives. We have a Patrick-sized hole," Wolterman said.
Wolterman was the first Hamilton firefighter to die in the line of duty since 1971, according to the Associated Press.