On April 6, 2008, Billi Romans, age 51, and her two children, Ami (16) and Caleb (12), died in a house fire at their home in London, Ohio. The fire, which started in their 2001 Ford Expedition parked in the carport next to their house, was eventually ruled an arson by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Investigators found accelerants, indicating that the fire had been intentionally set. Initially believed to be an accident, the case was later reclassified as a homicide, sparking new investigations and appeals for public assistance to solve the crime.
Billi and her children were trapped inside as the fire spread quickly, with both Billi and Ami calling 911 as flames engulfed the building. The tragedy deeply affected the local community, where Billi was well-liked in her role as a receptionist at a Christian school. Her husband, Peter Romans, was initially perceived as a grieving widower, but as the investigation progressed, suspicions grew about his involvement. Peter claimed that the fire started in the vehicle and blamed it on a faulty cruise control switch, which had been subject to a recall. However, investigators found that the vehicle burned from the outside in and concluded that the fire could not have started in the way Peter described.
In July 2019, more than a decade after the incident, Peter Romans was arrested and charged with three counts of murder and arson related to the deaths of his wife and children. Authorities have not disclosed what new evidence led to the arrest but cited inconsistencies in his accounts and physical evidence from the scene. Peter continues to maintain his innocence, blaming the fire on a defect in the vehicle, and has pursued a separate lawsuit against Ford and related companies.
The case of Billi Romans remains a tragic and complex narrative, marked by the devastating loss of a mother and her children and a delayed path to justice. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation continues to seek information from the public, with Central Ohio Crime Stoppers offering rewards for tips that lead to an arrest and conviction in the case. Despite these efforts, the case remains unresolved, and the community continues to search for answers and closure.
