Father charged with murder after adorable two-year-old son was killed in fire

A Kansas father has been arrested on suspicion of murder after his adorable two-year-old son was killed in a house fire earlier this year. 

James Crump, 33, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated endangering of a child under 18 in connection with the death of his son, Elijah Crump. 

The toddler died on January 26 in a house fire that destroyed his family’s home in a rural area of Dickinson County, Kansas, which is west of Topeka near the center of the state. 

First responders were dispatched to the home around 5.48pm. By the time they arrived, the residence was completely engulfed in flames, according to the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office. 

Deputies made contact with James and a child outside the house, who said that Elijah was still inside. 

Firefighters brought the blaze under control, and upon searching the wreckage, they discovered the toddler’s body.

On Monday, after an investigation that lasted almost six months, Dickinson County Attorney Brock Abbey submitted a criminal complaint against James, and the court issued a warrant for the father’s arrest the next day. 

The warrant, which was reviewed by the Daily Mail, alleged that James murdered his son by causing or recklessly allowing a situation that put his son’s life in danger, which it is understood referred to the fire.

The warrant did not detail how police suspect James caused or allowed the fire. 

Abbey, the county attorney, declined to comment or provide additional information when the Daily Mail reached out, citing his office’s policy regarding pending litigation.

James was booked into the Dickinson County Jail on Tuesday afternoon, where he is being held on a $250,000 cash bond, according to the jail’s records. 

The father had his first appearance in court at 11am on Thursday. Judge Neal Gugler presided over the hearing at Dickinson County Court. 

It appears that James has not yet hired an attorney, and it is unclear whether he has pleaded guilty or not guilty. 

In early February, shortly after the fire that claimed the toddler’s life the month before, neighbor Pat MacDonald described the scene and locals’ reactions to KSNW. 

‘It was terrifying to look out the window and see all those flashing red and white lights and the blaze in the house, but so many people came,’ she said. 

‘The community is pulling for this family,’ she added at the time. 

Rick Crump, the toddler’s grandfather also spoke to the outlet as he mourned Elijah’s death. 

‘When I would see him in pictures, he always had a smile,’ Rick said. 

‘Elijah probably is more blessed than we actually know because he is in heaven, and he is our Saint Elijah now.’

The case continues.