Man Kills Girlfriend, Sets Homes On Fire, Then Kills Self

Monday, August 10, 2009 4:32 AM

Updated: Monday, August 10, 2009 9:56 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Police said that a man who killed his girlfriend in his Far North Side home early Monday before setting it on fire and burning her house called 911 to report the shooting and fires before he killed himself.

"Hey Columbus, I set two houses on fire tonight and shot my girlfriend in the back of the head," said Edward Offord II in the 911 call he placed.

At about 2:41 a.m., Offord's Scarsdale Boulevard neighbors called 911 about a house fire. About a half-hour later, the other fire was reported on Charlbury Drive, near Upper Arlington, where Offord's girlfriend lived.

SLIDESHOW: Images From Scene

At 3:54 a.m., Offord, 39, made the 911 call and explained how he shot Krista Winger, 32, in the head at his home. He admitted to piling some explosives on his stove and turning it on, 10TV's Andy Hirsch reported.

In the 911 call, Offord went on to describe the weapons he had with him.

"You have two handguns with you?" the dispatcher asked.

"What? Yes I do," Offord said.

"And the shotgun?"

"The shotgun is in the trunk, yeah," Offord said.

After the 911 dispatcher asked him what made him do this, Offord hung up. At 4:52 a.m., police found his body near Glick Road and state Route 257 in southern Delaware County.

Winger worked at Ohio State University's Arts and Sciences academic services department, 10TV's John Fortney reported.

The university would not make an immediate comment.

Offord was a volunteer for Greyhound Adoption of Ohio. Linda Perko, the group's director, told 10TV News that Offord drove to their Cleveland-area shelter on Sunday night and turned over his beloved rescued greyhounds, Val and Gator.

"(Offord) just brought his dogs back and was sobbing uncontrollably," Perko said. "It seems very clear that Ed was incredibly disturbed and I don't know when that started or how long that's been going on but that's not the Ed we know at all."

Offord volunteered with the group for eight years, Fortney reported.

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