The Burning of Diane Pranske: Embers of Survival

She was greeted by a man with a hammer inside her own home and then brutally set on fire.

[Lansing, Illinois]

Diane Pranske (53) was navigating single motherhood in 2007 when she started a relationship with a man named John Kawalec.

The couple kept an unbreakable bond while spending romantic nights cooking dinner together in the kitchen or venturing off on fishing trips. Diane’s daughter, April, explained that she knew her mom really adored John when she transformed from her typical girly characteristics to suddenly tagging along to long days of fishing.

Amidst the constant fun and love they shared, the couple maintained their separate homes meaning most nights were quiet, dark, and occasionally lonely for Diane, especially since her daughter moved to Florida to pursue college and a job. In order to support herself and stay busy, she worked as a busy bartender serving drinks to nice, regular customers who really only visited to see her — while also juggling to tend to the occasional rowdy ones.

In September of 2015, she completed her normal task of closing up the bar around 10:30pm. On her way home, she phoned her boyfriend and explained she was stopping to pick up a few groceries before settling in…