SHAWNEE, Kan. – A Kansas man was charged Monday in connection with a house fire that killed his infant son, court documents confirmed.
The fire occurred at a Shawnee home early Sunday morning and claimed the life of a child born in 2020, KCTV reported.
Twenty-eight-year-old Nicholas Ecker, the child’s father, was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated arson, WDAF-TV reported.
Firefighters confirmed to the TV station that they found the boy’s body at around 1 a.m. Sunday, and he was declared dead at the scene.
According to KCTV, the child’s mother identified Ecker on her Facebook page as the baby’s father. She also posted pictures and videos Monday of the boy on social media, stating that the family would be setting up an online fundraiser at a later date.
Ecker is also charged with felony stalking, domestic aggravated assault and illegal possession of a firearm, WDAF-TV reported.
There were no other injuries reported in the fire, KCTV reported.
Ecker is being held on a $1 million bond, according to court documents.
