The murder trial for Nicholas Ecker, a man from Prairie Village accused of setting fire to his ex-girlfriend’s home with their 17-month-old son inside, ended in a hung jury on Tuesday.
Ecker, now 31, faced charges of first-degree murder and aggravated arson in the death of his son. Prosecutors allege that he intentionally burned down the Shawnee home of his ex-partner, Karlie Phelps, knowing that their young son was inside.
He was also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. Ecker pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to court records.
Although the trial concluded Tuesday, jurors in Johnson County couldn’t reach a unanimous decision on the first two charges. However, they did find Ecker guilty of the weapons charge.
The fire occurred at around 12:50 a.m. on February 13, 2022, at the Phelps family home on W. 69th Terrace in Shawnee. Court documents reveal that Phelps had left her toddler alone at home to visit a friend in Wyandotte County. She returned later that night to find the house engulfed in flames.
Video footage from Phelps’ Ring camera allegedly showed Ecker arriving at the home and setting it on fire, according to court records.
An autopsy revealed that the child was alive when the fire started and suffered severe burns.
Other people inside the home during the fire managed to escape unharmed. Phelps and her two other children, Ivan and Angelina, lost all their belongings in the fire, according to a family fundraiser.
Court documents state that Ecker appeared at the scene about 20 minutes after the fire was believed to have been set, even though he had not been contacted by emergency responders.
Prosecutors also presented text messages during the trial, showing Ecker questioning Phelps’ whereabouts before the fire, accusing her of lying, threatening self-harm, and sending her photos allegedly taken inside the house.
Ecker has been held in the Johnson County detention center on a $1 million bond since the incident.
Phelps pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in August 2022. While initially sentenced to 19 years in prison, a Johnson County judge reduced her sentence to three years of probation.
A hung jury, or deadlocked jury, typically leads to a retrial. A scheduling hearing to determine the next steps in Ecker’s case is set for October 16 at 8:45 a.m. in Johnson County court.
Ecker had previously been charged with domestic violence in two incidents, one of which occurred just a week before the fire. Earlier in 2022, Phelps had filed for a restraining order against him, according to court records.