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Parents of Shawnee baby killed in fire appear in court

Mother, father charged after deadly house fire
Nicholas Ecker Mugshot Shawnee Fire Suspect
Shawnee fire kills infant
Posted at 12:48 PM, Mar 31, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-31 16:01:29-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The father accused of setting a Shawnee house fire that killed his infant child and the mother who left the baby home alone that night appeared Thursday in Johnson County District Court.

Nicholas Ecker, 28, has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated arson with risk of bodily harm for allegedly setting fire to a home in the 10500 block of West 69th Street during the early-morning hours on Feb. 13.

Ecker remains jailed with a $1 million bond. His attorneys asked for and were granted a continuance until Aug. 10.

Ecker’s infant son — a boy the family called Junior — died in the fire.

junior killed in fire

He is no stranger to legal issues, including multiple domestic violence cases.

The child’s mother, Karlie Phelps, also has been charged in connection with the child’s death.

Phelps, 28, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering a child under 16 years old for allegedly leaving Junior home alone at the time of the fire.

Phelps, who was released on March 1 on a $350,000 bond, also appeared in court Thursday. Her case was continued until May 18 for a second preliminary hearing.

Karlie Phelps mug.jpg
Karlie Phelps

She was charged on March 2 with violation of a protection order and intimidation of a witness in addition to the charges related to the deadly house fire.

Additionally, Phelps was charged on Feb. 25 with illegal possession of Oxycontin.

All three cases, including charges related to the deadly house fire, have been combined in Johnson County court.

Ecker had a previous preliminary hearing on Feb. 17 in Johnson County court.

For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.