Teen charged in Southern Indiana house fire that killed father who was looking for him

A Southern Indiana teenager has been accused of starting a fire this summer that led to his father's death. 

Adam T. Hersker, 15, was charged Aug. 16 as an adult in Floyd Circuit Court with arson resulting in serious bodily injury, a level 2 felony.

To add to the tragedy, close friends and court records say Mike Hersker died after going back inside the burning home to look for Adam, unaware that the boy had run to a nearby field to watch the house burn.

The fire started in the early hours of Father's Day.

Court records state the Lafayette Fire Department and Floyd County Sheriff's Department responded June 16 to a report of a fire at a home on Andrea Drive in Floyds Knobs.

Emergency crews discovered all residents had escaped the home, but Adam Hersker was unaccounted for, according to court records.

Mike Hersker and his wife, Dorothy, were burned in the fire as they tried to make sure their three children escaped, and the couple was taken to University of Louisville Hospital.

Mike Hersker, 47, had over 80% of his body severely burned, according to court documents. He died at the hospital on July 4.

David Blankenbeker, owner of Blankenbeker and Son Land Surveyors Inc. in Jeffersonville, said Dorothy and Mike took in the two sons and daughter of Mike's brother about 12 years ago.

"(Mike) didn't have to do that, but he did," Blankenbeker said of the decision to take care of the three children.

Mike Hersker also had a third son from a previous marriage.

Dorothy Hersker was treated for her injuries and has since been released from the hospital, according to friends.

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After the fire, Adam Hersker was eventually found at another house in the neighborhood and taken in for questioning after Dorothy Hersker gave permission to police to interview her son without her being present, according to court documents.

He told police he had poured gasoline onto carpet inside the home and set it on fire following an argument with his parents the previous day, according to documents.

Dorothy Hersker told police that her son has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD, and anger issues, according to court documents.

Adam Hersker appeared for an initial hearing Wednesday in Floyd Circuit Court before Judge J. Terrence Cody. The teen entered a preliminary not guilty plea and was appointed a public defender.

He remains held in the Clark County Detention Center and has a pretrial conference scheduled for Aug. 26, according to court records.

Close friends of Mike Hersker, an Army veteran who was working in the building industry along with his wife, have started a "Help Hersker Committee" to raise funds for funeral expenses, food, clothing, education and other costs for the family.

According to an informational sheet from the "Help Hersker Committee," Mike Hersker went on a "room by room, closet by closet search" for Adam after the fire started.

"He searched every part of the burning home for the boy, ignoring the agony of his burning flesh," the committee said. "Once outside, he learned that his family was all safe."

Friends said his search for a son who wasn't even in a burning home was another example of how Mike Hersker was always willing to go the extra mile for loved ones.

Blankerbeker said he became friends with Mike Hersker about 20 years ago. Hersker developed an interest in home building and design after his Army service and worked briefly for Blankenbeker when he needed help.

At the time of his death, Hersker was working for Renaissance Design Build in Sellersburg and also drawing house plans for others when he had time.

Bob Linnert, owner of Better By Design LLC in New Albany, told the Courier Journal in an email that Mike Hersker was a "good and trusted friend for 20 plus years and a true hero because of his service to our country and what he was willing to suffer to assure his family's safety."

"His death was a loss to everyone who knew him," Linnert wrote.

According to his obituary, Mike Hersker was a member of Tunnel Hill Christian Church In Georgetown along with the National Rifle Association and local American Legion and VFW posts.

"He loved shooting, being a member of the Army Airborne Infantry, and his job designing buildings," Hersker's obituary said.

The obituary said Hersker also enjoyed playing X-Box, "spoiling" his daughter and encouraging his sons "to achieve their goals."

The Herskers lost their home and all belongings in the June fire, according to the "Help Hersker Committee."

Dorothy and her children have since rented a place in New Albany.

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The "Help Hersker Committee" has pledged time, materials and money to help rebuild the family's home.

A trust fund is also in the works for the children's education and other needs, Blankenbeker said, adding that about $10,000 of a $30,000 goal has been raised so far.

While Mike Hersker's death and the arrest of his son are tragic, Blankenbeker said the efforts from friends and strangers has provided light amid darkness.

"Of all of the things in this tragedy, the heartwarming part is seeing how good people are," Blankenbeker said. "It restores your trust in humanity."

How to support the Hersker family

Those wishing to wishing to support the family and trust fund can write checks to Tunnel Hill Christian Church, 5105 Old Georgetown Road, Georgetown, Indiana, 47122. 

The memo line should read, "Hersker Children's Fund."

Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com or 502-582-7030. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.