On June 16, 1989, Benjamin Hartney, an eight-month-old infant, tragically died in a house fire at 1283 Andrus Street in Akron, Ohio. The fire also claimed the lives of his mother, Carrie Hartney, aged 25, and his sister, Pamela Hartney, who was just two years old. The fire occurred in the early hours of the morning, and was determined to be an act of arson.
The blaze was reportedly set deliberately in the home's dining room and the adjoining stairwell, making it difficult for the occupants to escape. A roommate and her boyfriend were in the house but managed to escape unharmed, while the rest of the family did not survive. Authorities classified this incident as a triple homicide, and the Akron Police Department took charge of the investigation.
Despite initial inquiries, the case remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation continues to feature this case in the hopes that renewed public attention might generate new leads. Anyone with information related to the deaths of Carrie, Pamela, and Benjamin Hartney is urged to come forward and assist in this cold case investigation. The involvement of the community is crucial in bringing justice to the victims and closure to their loved ones.
