Only days before a policy was set to expire, he tried to collect.
The man who is suspected of setting fire to a home killing an Ohio firefighter was allegedly interested in a claim too.
Murder and aggravated arson are the charges facing 66-year-old Lester Parker in relation to a fire in his own home in Hamilton.
The blaze killed first responder Patrick Wolterman and started a few hours before Parker and his wife, Bertha, left for Las Vegas.
Police describe the case as “very active” and said they were confident Parker’s arrest won’t be their last.
Cincinnati Insurance Company’s coverage of the house dates back almost exactly one year before the fire and would have expired two days after the home was destroyed.
The insurance company filed a lawsuit against the Parkers after they attempted to collect on the policy.
The Parkers exercised their Fifth Amendment rights when asked to answer questions under oath by Cincinnati Insurance Company.
Attempts to collect by the Parkers failed after a judge ruled they didn’t comply with the insurance company’s investigation.
Parker’s bond has been set at $500,000 and he is due back in court for a pretrial hearing Dec. 19.
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