Murder charges filed after September house fire claimed life of Webb City graduate

A Kansas man has been arrested following a deadly September fire linked to the death of a woman from the Joplin metro.

35-year-old Morgan Ski Rainey, formerly Morgan Tournear, died September 10 in Ottawa, Kansas, according to her obituary.

45-year-old Ryan D. Braker, of Ottawa, was arrested Monday on allegations of first-degree murder, aggravated arson, two counts of aggravated battery and aggravated endangering a child.

The arrest stems from the fire on Highway 59, north of Ottawa.

Emergency crews were called to the property and found the structure fully engulfed in flames.

Rainey was found dead inside.

An infant suffered burns and was transported to the University of Kansas Medical Center for treatment.

Rainey was born in Joplin and graduated from Webb City High School in 2009. Her funeral was held October 21 at Christ's Church of Oronogo.

Investigators have not publicly disclosed what allegedly caused the deadly fire or Braker's relationship to the victims, but court records reveal that Braker and Rainey were involved in a legal dispute over paternity and child custody in the months leading up to her death.

The court proceedings were scheduled to continue in late August, just two weeks before the fatal fire.

Braker has a long criminal history in Missouri, including a 2019 arrest in Lamar.