Wolterman and fellow firefighters responded to the Lester Parker residence at about 1:10 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2015 and rushed in to rescue the residents they believed were inside.
But the arson fire had already burned from the basement, weakening the flooring above. Wolterman fell through and died.
Those older residents, Lester and Bertha Parker, weren’t trapped. They were gambling in Las Vegas. The man Lester Parker convinced to set the fire, his nephew William Tucker, was moving from hotel to hotel in Hamilton trying to sell pills he received in payment for the job.
Two years later, Lester Parker and William Tucker are both in prison after convictions for aggravated arson and murder following a November 2017 trial in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
Demolition of the residence, once preserved as a crime scene, began last week. On Monday, crews were still at the location on “the Knob,” but the house was gone.
Scrimizzi said the cost of demolition is approximately $19,000. The city is being reimbursed by the Parker’s insurance carrier. He said there has been some internal discussions regarding the land, but it is currently owned by the Parkers.
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