TACOMA, Wash. — The trial for a woman facing first and second-degree murder charges and 17 counts of arson will begin with opening statements on Monday in Tacoma.
The defendant, identified in court documents as Sarah Jane Ramey, is accused of setting a string of fires in Tacoma and Ruston between late December of 2021 and late January of 2022.
A fire, which Ramey is accused of setting on New Year’s Eve in 2021, resulted in the death of James Elliott. Elliott died of smoke inhalation after a fire ignited at his home on Rosemount Way in North Tacoma. The fire was initially determined to be accidental, but a Central Pierce Fire & Rescue K9 later indicated that there were “ignitable liquids” on numerous pieces of debris from the home.
“How do you wrap your head around your childhood home being burned down, your father being murdered? And this is a month after my mom died,” said Elizabeth Keating, Elliott's daughter.
Cellphone data shows Ramey's phone in north Tacoma near the location of the fire when it occurred, according to probable cause documents. Based on the data, she stayed in the area for "several hours," left, and then came back for "several more hours."
After Ramey’s arrest, she was discovered to be in possession of the victim’s checkbook, and checks belonging to the victim’s wife. The search of the defendant’s truck also turned up a high visibility Metro Parks jacket which the suspect had been caught wearing in surveillance footage taken from multiple of the suspected arson scenes, debit and credit cards from residents at other homes she is accused of setting on fire and keys to multiple vehicles which had been stolen from a Metro Parks facility.
“What I really hope is that nobody has to be harmed by this person again. She killed one person, many of the other houses had people inside at the time – I mean I’m surprised that only one person died in all of this,” Keating said.
Ramey was charged in February of 2022 and pleaded not guilty.
“He really loved us and we miss him," said Audrey Elliott, James Elliott's granddaughter. “I just hope that there is justice for my grandfather.”
