On April 13, 2003, Andrea Dennis, a 20-year-old female, was tragically killed in a house fire at 64 East 17th Avenue, near the Ohio State University campus in Columbus, Ohio. The fire occurred in the early hours, just after 4 a.m., following a party that was held at the residence. The fire was deliberately set, and investigators later determined that the point of origin was the front door of the duplex.
Andrea was one of five students who lost their lives in the blaze, including Erin DeMarco, Kyle Raulin, Christine Wilson, and Alan Schlessman. Three of the victims were students from Ohio University, while the other two were students at Ohio State University.
The fire began shortly after a party attended by 75 to 100 people had ended at around 3:30 a.m. When the blaze started, it is estimated that between 15 and 20 people were still inside the building. All five victims were trapped on the second floor of the house; four of them were in one room, while another was alone in a separate room. It took approximately 100 firefighters nearly an hour to extinguish the fire, which was already intense by the time they arrived at the scene.
Despite efforts from the Columbus Police Department and other agencies, the person responsible for setting the fire has not been identified, and the case remains unsolved. The incident has left a deep impact on the community and the victims' families, who are still seeking justice. Crime Stoppers has offered a reward for information leading to an arrest, and authorities believe there are still individuals with knowledge of what happened who have not yet come forward. The police continue to treat the fire as a homicide investigation, hoping to eventually bring closure to those affected by this tragedy.
