Five-Year Fugitive Brought to Justice: Ohio Suspect Alleged to Have Burned Family to Ashes for Occult Rite

After five years on the run, an Ohio man has been arrested in connection with one of the state’s most horrifying crimes — the brutal murder of his wife and young child, whose remains he allegedly burned to ashes as part of a dark and disturbing occult ritual. Authorities say the suspect, now in custody after a multi-state manhunt, lived under a false identity while continuing to perform so-called “spiritual ceremonies” using the ashes of his victims. The shocking revelation has sent waves of disbelief and horror through the quiet community where the family once lived, as investigators uncover the twisted motives behind the gruesome act.

The suspect, identified as David Allen Brooks, 42, was taken into custody Tuesday evening in rural Kentucky, where he had reportedly been living under the name “Daniel Brewer.” According to police, Brooks had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list since 2020, when his wife, Emily Brooks, 36, and their 4-year-old son, Noah, disappeared from their home in Columbus, Ohio. The case went cold for years — until a tip from a former acquaintance led authorities to a remote farmhouse where Brooks had been conducting what he called “purification rituals.”

Inside the house, investigators found what they described as “disturbing evidence of occult activity,” including hand-drawn symbols, candles, and several ceramic urns containing human ashes. DNA testing confirmed that two of the urns contained the remains of Emily and Noah Brooks.

“This is one of the most chilling cases we’ve encountered,” said Franklin County Sheriff Mark Dyer at a press conference Wednesday morning. “Not only were the victims brutally murdered, but the suspect appeared to believe he could achieve some kind of spiritual transformation through their deaths.”

Court documents reveal that Brooks had a long history of involvement in fringe spiritual groups and occult practices. Former neighbors told police that he often spoke about “cleansing the soul through fire” and claimed that death was “merely the passage to enlightenment.”

“He was quiet, polite, but something about him always felt off,” said Karen Ellis, who lived next door to the Brooks family for several years. “We’d see him outside late at night, burning things in the backyard. We thought it was strange — but never imagined this.”

Authorities believe the murders occurred in late 2019, shortly after Brooks lost his job and began attending meetings of a self-styled spiritual collective known as The Path of Eternal Light. Members of the group told investigators that Brooks became increasingly obsessed with the idea of sacrifice as a way to “remove human imperfection.”

By early 2020, Emily and Noah had vanished. Brooks told friends they had “gone to stay with relatives,” but no one ever saw them again. When police later searched the family’s home, they found traces of blood beneath newly replaced flooring — and a burn pit in the backyard.

The trail went cold until earlier this year, when a former member of The Path of Eternal Light contacted the FBI, claiming that Brooks had “spoken openly about burning his family to free them from sin.” Agents traced financial records and discovered a fake identity under which Brooks had purchased property in Kentucky.

When officers raided the farmhouse, Brooks reportedly attempted to flee through a back door before being apprehended. Inside, investigators found not only the ashes of his family but also journals describing his “spiritual evolution through the purification flame.”

“He showed no remorse,” said Sheriff Dyer. “He seemed almost proud, as if he believed what he had done was necessary.”

Forensic psychologists assisting with the case have described Brooks’s writings as “deeply delusional,” suggesting he may suffer from a severe psychotic disorder rooted in religious grandiosity. However, prosecutors say they intend to pursue full criminal charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and one count of desecration of human remains.

“This is not a man driven by faith — it’s a man driven by control and delusion,” said District Attorney Laura Jennings. “He took the lives of his wife and child, and then turned their deaths into a grotesque display of his own imagined power.”

The arrest has reignited public debate about the overlap between fringe spirituality, mental illness, and criminal violence. Experts warn that while most alternative belief systems are peaceful, isolated individuals can easily spiral into extremism when their ideas go unchecked.

“Brooks represents the dangerous intersection of obsession and isolation,” said Dr. Henry Collins, a criminologist at Ohio State University. “When people reject reality and begin to build their own moral universe, the results can be catastrophic.”

Friends of Emily Brooks have described her as a kind, gentle woman devoted to her son and active in local charity work. “She was light itself,” said one former coworker. “She didn’t deserve this. No one did.”

A candlelight vigil is planned in Columbus this weekend, where members of the community will gather to honor Emily and Noah’s memory. The local church has also announced plans to help raise funds for the victims’ relatives.

Meanwhile, Brooks remains in custody without bail, awaiting extradition to Ohio. Prosecutors have indicated they may seek life imprisonment without parole.

For residents of Columbus — and for those who knew the Brooks family — the arrest brings both relief and deep sorrow. “We finally have answers,” said Sheriff Dyer, his voice heavy. “But there’s no justice that can truly heal what was lost.”

As the sun set over the small Kentucky farmhouse where Brooks was captured, investigators continued to sift through the remnants of his so-called rituals — candles melted to the floor, symbols scrawled across the walls, and urns that once held the ashes of the people he claimed to love most.

It was a haunting scene, one that spoke not only of evil but of a mind consumed by its own darkness.

And after five long years of silence, the story of Emily and Noah Brooks — a mother and child lost to the delusions of a man they trusted — is finally being told.