On the night of April 6, 2008, a fire destroyed the home of the Romans family in London, Ohio, killing 51-year-old receptionist Billi Romans and her two children, 16-year-old Ami and 12-year-old Caleb. Both Billi and Ami made 911 calls as the house burned, but neither could escape. Investigators traced the origin of the blaze to the family’s 2001 Ford Expedition in the carport and later found accelerants at the scene; the State Fire Marshal’s Office ruled the fire an arson and the case was treated as a homicide investigation.

Suspicion focused on Billi’s husband, Peter Romans, who had claimed a vehicle defect caused an accidental fire and even pursued a lawsuit against the manufacturer. Investigators concluded the SUV had burned from the outside in, found inconsistencies in his statements, and continued to examine physical evidence. In July 2019 he was arrested and charged with three counts of murder and arson; he pleaded not guilty and went to trial in October 2020, when a jury acquitted him of all charges.

The deaths of Billi, Ami, and Caleb remain unsolved. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers.