CMU’s student rapist Eric Lee Ramsey shot by police

Eric Lee Ramsey, a 30-year-old man from Mount Pleasant, kidnapped and raped a Central Michigan University student, then set a house on fire where the victim had fled for help.

The woman, originally from the Grand Rapids area, was abducted at gunpoint on Wednesday around 10 p.m., from the Central Michigan University campus. The sheriff said Ramsey drove the woman in her own vehicle to a home off campus (on S. Crawford Road) and bound and raped her there.

Ramsey, forced the woman back in the car, which he loaded with two cans of gasoline, and told her he was going to kill her. She escaped from the moving vehicle and ran to a nearby house, on S. Mission Road, for help. Three children at the home let the victim inside. They hid in the bathroom while the victim called 911.

“Isabella County Central Dispatch received a call at 10:05 p.m. from the woman, who said she had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted”, the sheriff said.

Soon, Ramsey went to the house, poured gasoline and lit the house on fire. The homeowners were able to put out the fire and no one was hurt.

Michigan state troopers located Ramsey behind the wheel of the SUV several hours later, he rammed into a Michigan State Police Trooper in Gaylord. Ramsey then stole a sanitation truck which he used to ram a sheriff’s deputy’s vehicle head-on, Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski told the Morning Sun.

The deputy then got out of his car and opened fire into the sanitation truck cab, killing Ramsey at the scene around 4:00 a.m.

Prior to being killed, Ramsey posted on his Facebook account:

“Well folkes im about to get shot. Peace”.

University President George Ross released a statement Thursday morning to the CMU community:

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the CMU student involved in last night’s horrible crime. We are thankful that she is secure and receiving the care she needs with her family. The entire CMU community stands ready to help and support her and her family in whatever ways possible,” Ross said.

According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, Ramsey is paroled out of Isabella County and has a criminal past including malicious destruction of property, resisting and assaulting a police officer, assault with intent to harm and felonious assault.