(Cleveland) - A reward is now being offered in a Mayfield Heights arson that has also now become a homicide investigation.
41-year-old Rebecca Pletnewski was stabbed to death in her home on Longwood Road late Monday or early Tuesday. The fire investigator says the fire was set deliberately, likely in an attempt to destroy forensic evidence of the murder. Pletnewski's daughter, 8-year old Olivia Schneider, also died in the home, from smoke inhalation.
A male aquaintance of Pletnewski was questioned as a Person of Interest by Mayfield Heights police, but has not been arrested.
A K-9 officer who arrived at the fire scene Tuesday noticed traces of an accelerant that was used to spread the fire.
A private firefighter-related organization is offering a 5,000 dollar reward for information leading to a prosecution in this case. Anyone with information about the murders of the two victims is asked to contact the Mayfield Heights Police Department.
Pletnewski was an Intensive Care Unit nurse at University Hospital.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help family members of the victims pay for funeral expenses:
https://www.gofundme.com/memorial-fund-in-honor-of-rebecca-pletnewski
Photos: Courtesy of Kyle Cornell; WKYC televison
Copyright: IHeartMedia, 2018