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Ronald Kemppainen faces five felony charges.

Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 9:38 p.m.

Read more: Local, Crime, Community, 116 Quincy Street, Apartment Fire, Deadly Fire, Arson

HANCOCK -- Police say they've arrested a suspect believed to be responsible for the deadly apartment fire in Downtown Hancock three months ago.

The fire at 116 Quincy Street left four people dead.

According to the Hancock City Police, the suspect was arrested Friday night and is currently lodged at the Houghton County Jail.

The suspect is charged with one felony count of arson to a dwelling or a house and four felony counts of homicide.

The suspect is expected to be arraigned on Monday in Houghton County District Court.

No other information has been released at this time.

Update 11/02/09 3:57 p.m.:

Forty-seven-year-old Ronald Kemppainen of Calumet was arraigned on the five felony charges in Houghton County District Court this morning.

No bond was set because of the serious nature of these crimes and the suspect's previous record.

Kemppainen's preliminary exam is set for November 16. 

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21 Comments on this Story
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; they are not reflective of the views or opinions of Barrington Broadcasting, TV6, its directors or employees. If you believe a comment violates the Barrington Terms of Use, please report it here.

MySpace

Posted by Justa Bout-time, ******* - Friday, November 06, 2009 at 10:53 a.m.

The mom must have heard about this conversation. She changed her MySpace yesterday!

Really?

Posted by OhMy. ..., UP - Thursday, November 05, 2009 at 6:50 p.m.

I also saw this myspace page.
It's a horrifying, disgusting thing, seeing things like that posted after the death of your own child. Really? Who does that? Not an innocent parent, that's for sure.

I'm a young mom and I care about and love my child more than anything on the planet. I cannot imagine a day without my child.

I hope the death of this innocent being is still under investigation.

I'm glad they found the man responsible for the fire.

I sure hope someone in the law sees such a page...

Posted by K L, Houghton - Wednesday, November 04, 2009 at 11:19 a.m.

Yeah, with a myspace page that says that, it makes it pretty hard to respect her as a parent or a human being. The common courtesy of not judging first pretty much goes out the window as well. When I sit back and think about my children, thinking a mother could ever feel that way after losing one of them really makes me rather sick to my stomach. I hope someone does look into this mother and exactly what happened with this poor baby.

Wow

Posted by Justa bout-time, ***** - Wednesday, November 04, 2009 at 10:57 a.m.

I did look at the myspace for the mother and you are right it does say that. Updated 10/31/09 very interesting. I also noticed that her current status for children says "expecting". If so that is a crime. So many people out there wanting to have children and can't.

And just and FYI I never left my kids home with mental health recipients watching them while I went out drinking until 5a.m. If me and my husband were out the kids were taken care of by a family member who loved them.

If this child was so sick since the fire then why was the mom out everynight until weeeee hours of the morning partying it up at the bars? Why wasn't she being taken care of?

It is just such a terrible shame.

??

Posted by snow dog, htown - Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 8:25 p.m.

Are you serious?? Free to do what she wants?? Please tell me that someone is looking into this....

mom's myspace status

Posted by Just Me, Houghton - Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 1:58 p.m.

"Finally Free To Do What Ever I Wanna Do WOW It Is Kinda Crazy"

that is her myspace status, it is public for everyone to see. to me it sounds like she is happy to be "free". just my opinion.

thanks to the police for awell done job

Posted by john thompson , indiana - Monday, November 02, 2009 at 11:49 p.m.

mothers who put drinking before there kids arent true mothers true mothers are the ones who love there kids and bring them up in a christian church as for as ronald goes i know what he did was very wrong but in the bible we are still suppose to love him GOD WILL JUDGE HIM ON JUDGE MENT DAYi feel sad for the familes and friends they were also my friends to to every one all i can say is GODS PEACE

Family Friend??

Posted by Anna Timberlake, Pelkie - Monday, November 02, 2009 at 8:19 p.m.

Family Friend, How is a mother SUPPOSED to act after she loses a baby? You call yourself a "Family Friend." Wow, I feel sorry for the rest of your so-called friends. And Justa, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.

just a thought

Posted by snow dog, htown - Monday, November 02, 2009 at 6:27 p.m.

If her baby had been ill since the fire maybe she should have been at home with it instead of out partying. Does not sound like someone who is responsible enough to have a child.

Wow

Posted by Just Me, Houghton - Monday, November 02, 2009 at 9:55 a.m.

I think it's really unfair to be commenting about the death of the poor infant and making judgement calls. I talked with a family member of the mother soon after the child's death and yeah, mom liked to party it up. Was it negligence because she went home drunk after a night out? How many of you with children drank while your kids were little? Didn't you ever go out and come home after some drinks? But all that aside, according to family members this baby was ill since the fire and it could very possibly have been a death caused by damage due to smoke inhalation.

I don't know the mother and I've heard she likes to party. I've heard a ton of nasty remarks made. But the fact of the matter is, a child died and no one knows how she feels and if it was negligence or not. But it surely is time to get off your high and mighty pedestal and quit acting as though you never indulged in a night out when you had your own kids.

They have ugly insensitive people in the copper country too!

Posted by b r, republic - Monday, November 02, 2009 at 6:56 a.m.

What do you care if they have fund raisers for her,DONT GO!! Have you ever lost a child?Who are you to judge her at her daughters funeral?You can bet you had a biased opinion before you even went there.That is probably the onlt reason you went there was to hope to see her squirm.People like you come from a long list of vengeful people.Look back in your family tree and one of your relatives were probably the instigators of the Boston witch hunt.
As far as the police go they probably had to wait until they had all there ducks in a row.There is probably no need to worry about him fleeing the country.

time

Posted by m f, Houghton - Sunday, November 01, 2009 at 9:13 p.m.

it takes time 4 them 2 get the facts straight and i think they did the rite job doing it,u can't rush in 2 it when 4 people lost there lives. good job done by all

So Sad

Posted by Rosana Olson, Des Moines Iowa - Sunday, November 01, 2009 at 8:46 p.m.

I think most clear-thinking people have thought this fire was no accident. I also wondered about the untimely death of the baby who survived this same fire? I hope that law enforcement is able to determine who is responsible for any crimes related to this fire.

Sorry

Posted by E W, Marquette - Sunday, November 01, 2009 at 5:36 p.m.

Sorry, my mistake. Thankyou Hancock PD for the job well done and to the fire investigators and everyone involved!!

Great job everyone

Family Friend

Posted by Family Friend, South Range - Sunday, November 01, 2009 at 5:34 p.m.

I am a friend of the walker family and the mother did tell me alot of the same things that Justa-bout time mentions. Just like the night of the fire she was out all night the night the baby died and came home "drunk" I do feel the police should be seriously investigating her neglect of that baby. I was at the funeral and the lunch after and she really doesn't act like a mom who losst their loving child. And yes what is up with all these "fundraisers" for
"the walker family" I don't see any for the 4 people who died in the fire. Yet she lost her daughter due to her negligence and she has had many fundraisers.

fire

Posted by kimmie hylton, houghton - Sunday, November 01, 2009 at 5:29 p.m.

im glad that got him. and for another thing my opinion on the mother of the baby, just leave her alone, shes been through enough.

Hancock

Posted by Hancock PD, Hancock - Sunday, November 01, 2009 at 3:35 p.m.

I think it was Hancock PD we should pat on the back.

Justa Bout-time

Posted by C Thompson, Mqt - Sunday, November 01, 2009 at 1:39 p.m.

Justa Bout-time, you seem to be an expert on this case about the mother. Care to explain how you "know" so much?

Good Job WLUC-TV6

Posted by Debra C, Keweenaw - Sunday, November 01, 2009 at 10:58 a.m.

As usual, TV6 is doing a top notch job on news reporting for the Keweenaw. I had not seen this story reported anywhere else in Houghton or Keweenaw Counties. TV6 is my #1 go-to spot for the news.

Good

Posted by E W, MQT - Sunday, November 01, 2009 at 7:48 a.m.

Im glad they arrested the monster that did this. This person should rot in prison for the rest of this life!! Good job Houghton PD!!

Public has been waiting for this info and so much more!

Posted by Justa Bout-time, Hancock - Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 10:49 p.m.

It is about time there is some information and an arrest in this case. People are also very interested in the baby who survived this fire only to die a month later after mom went out partying and then came home drunk at 5am and then at 8am reports the baby dead. This seems way too fishy. Not only that but the continuous "family benefit" fundraisers held for the mother after the childs death? The community has a right to know what the mothers involvement is prior to donating money to her for yet another "vacation". (which she has had a few since the death of her child)
So we the community would appreciate tv6 to do some investigative reporting on this since the daily mining gazette has failed to do so.

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