Darke County man accused of murdering his grandmother by setting her on fire
Jun. 27—A Darke County man has been accused of setting his grandmother on fire and killing her in December 2024.
Jamin Wesley Brenner, 36, was indicted on two charges each of aggravated murder and aggravated arson, according to a release from Darke County Sheriff's Office Detective Rachael Prickett.
The charges stem from the Dec. 12, 2024 death of Beverly Lees, 86, at a residence on Little John Drive in the Sherwood Forest Trailer Community in Neave Twp.
At around 2:45 p.m., fire crews were called to the home and reported seeing heavy smoke coming from the mobile home.
Lees was found inside and pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators from the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office determined that Lees had been set on fire intentionally, leading to her death, Prickett said. The fire then spread to the residence.
Following a six-month investigation between sheriff's office detectives, the fire marshal's office and the Darke County Coroner's Office, Brenner was located in Dayton and arrested Friday with the assistance of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.
Brenner is currently in the Darke County Jail awaiting arraignment.
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