A Hope man has been arrested on a first-degree murder charge nearly six months after a house fire claimed the life of his 2-year-old son in rural Dickinson County.
The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and firefighters responded to a structure fire at approximately 5:48 p.m. Jan. 26 in the 1500 block of 1400 Avenue. When first responders arrived, the home was fully engulfed in flames.
Deputies contacted James Bradley Crump, 33, and another child outside the residence. Crump told authorities his 2-year-old son was unaccounted for and may still be inside the home.
After firefighters brought the blaze under control, they located the child’s body inside the residence.
The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office, has continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire.
On July 14, the Dickinson County District Court issued an arrest warrant charging Crump with first-degree murder and aggravated endangering a child.
Crump was arrested later that day without incident and booked into the Dickinson County Detention Facility.
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing, and no additional information is being released at this time.
