ESSEX, MD — More than 30 years after a deadly apartment fire killed a mother and her young daughter, authorities are still searching for answers in the case, which investigators have classified as a double homicide.
On May 24, 1992, 30-year-old Mary Lee Gericke and her 8-year-old daughter, Victoria Gericke, died of smoke inhalation after a fire tore through their apartment on the 1400 block of Hadwick Drive in Essex.
The blaze, which escalated to a three-alarm response, began in the hallway of the apartment building. Fire officials later determined it had been intentionally set. Damages to the structure exceeded $500,000.
Despite the decades that have passed, the Baltimore County Police Department continues to investigate the arson. Detectives are urging anyone with information to come forward, and a reward of up to $2,000 is being offered for tips that help move the case forward.
Police seek new leads in 1992 arson that claimed two lives
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Baltimore County Police Department at 410-887-3943.
