Caleb Romans was a vibrant, 12-year-old White male who loved sports. His life was cut short in a devastating house fire on April 6, 2008, in rural London, Ohio. Caleb died alongside his mother, Billi Romans, and his 16-year-old sister, Ami. The fire began just after midnight in the family’s 2001 Ford Expedition, which was parked in a carport attached to their home. As smoke and flames quickly spread through the building, frantic 911 calls were made from inside, but the family was unable to escape the blaze.
Initially, authorities believed the fire was a tragic accident. However, a deeper investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office led to a different conclusion. The fire was determined to have been intentionally set, and the Madison County Coroner subsequently ruled the deaths a homicide.
Despite this ruling, the investigation stalled, and for more than a decade, the case remained cold, leaving a community to wonder what had happened.
A break in the case came eleven years later. In July 2019, authorities arrested Caleb's father, Peter Romans, and charged him with aggravated murder and arson in connection with the deaths of his wife and children. The charges were based on what investigators described as new evidence, including the presence of an accelerant in the vehicle. They also concluded that the fire had started from outside the SUV, which contradicted Peter Romans’ long-held claim that a faulty cruise control switch was to blame.
Peter Romans maintained his innocence throughout the investigation and legal proceedings. He stated that he had attempted to reenter the burning house to save his family but was driven back by the intensity of the flames. Years earlier, he had filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Company, alleging that a vehicle defect caused the fire. At trial, his attorney portrayed him as a grieving father who had lost everything and was now being unjustly accused. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his case was heard by a three-judge panel.
In October 2020, the panel found Peter Romans not guilty of all charges related to the fire that killed his family. With his acquittal, no one has been held responsible for the deaths of Caleb, Ami, and Billi Romans. The case remains an unsolved homicide. The Ohio Attorney General's office asks that anyone with information regarding this case submit a tip.
