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Three Years After Woman And Son Found Dead Following House Fire, Her Ex-Husband Is Arrested For Murder
Duane Meyer alerted authorities to the fire at his ex-wife Maggie Rosko's house, but now he's accused of murdering her and setting the home on fire himself to cover up his crime.
Three years after a mom and her young son were found dead after flames engulfed their Illinois home, the woman’s ex-husband has been arrested and charged with their murders.
Initially it was believed that Maggie Rosko, 31, and her 3-year-old son Amos Meyer died as a result of an tragic fire in October 2016. However, the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office along with various other local, state and federal partners, including the FBI, began investigating the blaze and determined it to have been arson, according to a Wednesday press release.
Now, at the tragedy’s three-year mark, that investigation has led to a suspect: Duane “DC” Meyer, 37. He was Rosko’s ex-husband and the father of Amos. He was also the person who reported the fire, initially telling investigators that he noticed the Byron home in flames as he arrived to pick up his son, WREX in Rockford, Illinois reports.
When first responders arrived at the scene, Rosko was found dead in the home and the boy was found in the front yard. He was rushed to the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and was pronounced dead there. It’s not clear yet exactly how Rosko died.
Investigators now claim Meyer killed his ex-wife and then set the home on fire to try to cover up the murder. He was arrested Wednesday and charged with four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated arson and one count of concealment of a homicidal death.
Additionally, because he was allegedly found with a loaded gun during his arrest, he was also charged with unlawful use of a weapon. He's been booked on a $10 million bond. It’s not clear if has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf.
While investigators have not yet disclosed how Rosko was killed, any motive or what evidence led them to arrest her ex, they noted that the determination was the result of an extensive investigation.
“The investigation produced in excess of 35,000 pages of documents and other evidence and was active and ongoing until the last few weeks,” Ogle County State’s Attorney Eric Morrow said during a news conference on Wednesday.
Rosko was a special education teacher who received her Bachelor's degree and Master of Science in special education.
“Maggie cherished the role as mother,” her obituary states, adding that “Maggie and Amos were inseparable. Amos was Maggie’s world; there was not a day that they were not together. She enjoyed every minute with Amos and spending time with her family and friends.”
Her obituary also noted that she was an avid White Sox fan who loved to run and garden.
