Dony and Mary Ellis

Dony and Mary Ellis Killed in Unsolved 2007 Amarillo Apartment Fire

An early-morning fire at an Amarillo apartment complex killed Dony Ray Ellis and Mary Jane Ellis and displaced more than 30 families on April 19, 2007. Initially investigated as a possible accident, the fire was later classified as arson and the couple’s deaths as homicides.

The fire broke out at the Meridian Apartments, 2201 W. Sixth Ave., near Rusk Street. Initial news reports placed the alarm at approximately 3:30 a.m., while a later Amarillo Police Department summary listed the response time as 5:08 a.m.^[1]

Dony Ellis, 63, died at the scene. Mary Ellis, 59, was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital, where she died from her injuries. At least three other people required hospital treatment, including one victim who was listed in critical condition at a Lubbock burn unit.^[2]

The fire caused extensive damage and forced more than 30 families from their homes. Amarillo fire investigators and the Potter-Randall Special Crimes Unit examined the scene to determine how the blaze began.^[3]

Investigators eventually concluded that the fire had been deliberately set. Authorities also suspected that the person responsible may have set other fires in Amarillo, leading police to investigate the deaths as the work of a possible serial arsonist.

By 2009, Potter-Randall Special Crimes Lt. Gary Trupe said investigators believed they knew who was responsible. Police had developed a person of interest and attempted to gather evidence against that individual, but they did not have enough to file criminal charges.

No suspect has been publicly named, and no arrest has been announced. The Amarillo Police Department renewed its request for information in 2025, confirming that the deaths of Dony and Mary Ellis remain under investigation as murders.

Anyone with information may contact the Amarillo Police Department Cold Case Unit at 806-378-6468 or email coldcaseunit@amarillo.gov. Anonymous tips may also be submitted to Amarillo Crime Stoppers at 806-374-4400.