Elizabeth Gerling’s murder has left many reeling and mourning the loss of a beloved member of the community, a dear friend, and a loving teacher.
The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday it had arrested Gerling’s boyfriend Jeremy Kirch , 45, of Camden, in connection to the alleged murder.
According to her obituary , Gerling graduated from Whitesboro Central School in 1992. She then attended Plymouth State University in New Hampshire to obtain her Bachelor’s degree and her Master’s degree in English education in 1998.
In 1999, she started teaching in New Mexico on a Navajo reservation, where she taught for five years before returning to the Utica area in 2004.
She became an assistant principal at Proctor High School, with her obituary writing Gerling “…loved being a role model for students and went to great lengths to ensure all her students succeeded in all aspects of her life.”
She became a principal of Columbus Elementary School in 2013 and was dedicated to her students.