Amy Parrish

Do you know who set the fire that killed Amy Parrish and her three children?
In the quiet, early morning hours of February 19, 2005, a devastating house fire on South Bell Street in Kokomo, Indiana, claimed the lives of a young mother and three children, leaving a permanent scar on their family and the community. Amy Parrish, a 25-year-old White woman, died in the blaze alongside her 4-year-old son, Dacota Rasmussen, her 2-year-old son, Caleb Parrish, and her 11-year-old stepson, Casey Parrish. The Howard County coroner determined that all four victims died from smoke inhalation.

The family was asleep when the fire broke out around 8 a.m. Firefighters arrived to find the home engulfed in heavy smoke and flames. Inside, they discovered the bodies of Amy and the three boys. The only person to make it out of the house alive was Amy’s husband and the father of two of the children, 37-year-old Michael Parrish. He told family he awoke to a bedroom full of smoke and his wife warning him of the fire. In the chaos and darkness, he tried to find a way for his family to escape but fell from a second-story window, suffering 22 cuts. Neighbors saw him outside, screaming, as the fire raged. His sister, Lori Teter, said he frantically tried to get back inside to save his family but the heat and flames were too intense. The couple's one-year-old daughter was not at home during the fire and was unharmed.

Investigators quickly determined the fire was not an accident. Evidence of an accelerant was found at the scene, and authorities ruled the fire a deliberately set arson, classifying the four deaths as homicides. Police Lt. Don Whitehead confirmed the fire was intentionally set but did not release details on how it was started. In the initial stages of the investigation, police stated they had "people we are interested in talking to," but no arrests were ever made, and no suspects have been publicly named.

The case grew cold over the years, a constant source of pain for the surviving family members. Michael Parrish’s sister recounted his anguish, stating, "He keeps saying, 'It should have been me. Why wasn't it me?'" The Kokomo Police Department has not forgotten the four lives lost. On the 10th anniversary of the fire, in 2015, investigators announced they were reopening the case. Sgt. Dan Stout stated, “any case that goes unsolved where four people lose their lives is a case that never goes away.''

As part of the renewed push for answers, evidence was resubmitted to the Indiana State Police Crime Lab in the hope that a decade of technological advancements could uncover new leads. Investigators also planned to conduct more interviews, appealing to the public for anyone who might have seen something and was now ready to speak. In May 2015, the Indiana Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators offered a $5,000 reward for information that could finally help solve the case.

The murders of Amy Parrish, Dacota Rasmussen, Caleb Parrish, and Casey Parrish remain unsolved. The Kokomo Police Department continues to seek information from the public that could lead to an arrest and bring a measure of justice to a family shattered by an unimaginable act of violence. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Kokomo Police Department at 765-459-5101, the KPD Hotline at 765-456-7017, or Crime Stoppers of Indiana at 1-800-222-TIPS.