Surveillance Footage Reveals Murder-Suicide in Illinois House Fire

When Pamela Ringenberg awoke to the frightening sound of a smoke alarm in her Bloomington, Illinois home, she had no idea the horror that awaited her.

According to a statement by police, Ringenberg “frantically searched for her family members but was unable to find them.” She then fled to get help from her neighbors.

It wasn’t until later, when home surveillance camera footage was viewed, that the true horror was apparent: Her husband, Eric Ringenberg, 33, had allegedly been the culprit.

According to police, the 33-year-old father of two hid the family cellphones in the kitchen cabinets, returned to the basement where he had been with his sons, and murdered them.

He then hanged himself, setting the house on fire immediately beforehand. Firefighters found all three bodies as they rushed into the home Tuesday morning.

It was later confirmed through an autopsy that Eric Ringenberg’s death was from suicide and that both boys had been strangled. Pamela Ringenberg was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

After such an extreme loss, she issued a statement to her friends and family on Facebook, asking for prayers and that they “refrain from judgement and understand this is a very difficult time.”

This is a difficult time that far too many parents go through.

By definition, filicide is the killing of one or more children by a parent, stepparent or other parental figure.

A study in the Forensic Science International journal published over three decades worth of data regarding this crime, reporting devastating results: The average number of kids killed by their parents every year totaled 500.

In 72 percent of recorded cases, the children were six years old or younger. One-third of the victims were under one year of age.

The study’s objective is to generate research that “may help identify at-risk populations and improve prevention and treatment.”

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