Alan Schlessman, 21, died in a deliberately set house fire that destroyed a student house at 64 East 17th Avenue in Columbus on April 13, 2003. The blaze began at the front door about 4 a.m., roughly half an hour after a party of 75 to 100 people had ended. Five students—Erin DeMarco, Kyle Raulin, Christine Wilson, Alan Schlessman, and Andrea Dennis—were trapped on the second floor; four were in one room and the fifth in another. About 15 to 20 people had been inside; it took 100 firefighters an hour to put the fire out.

Investigators later arrested Robert L. Patterson, 20, who lived nearby; police said his name came up in a tip and that he was interviewed several times and implicated himself. He was charged with five counts of aggravated murder and other felonies, but prosecutors dropped those charges days later citing insufficient evidence. Patterson remained a person of interest and later had unrelated convictions, while detectives kept the investigation open and a reward was offered. Family members set up scholarships and charities in memory of the victims and expressed frustration at the lack of resolution.

If anyone attended the April 13 party or has information about the fire’s origin at the front door, please come forward.