Two teenage boys have been arrested and charged with causing the Sept. 2 death of Chillicothe woman by dislodging a tree branch that fell on top of her at Hocking Hills State Park, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said.

The boys, who are 16 and 17 and both from Logan in Hocking County, were taken into custody by the ODNR on Thursday. Both are charged with delinquency counts of reckless homicide and are being held in a juvenile detention facility in Lancaster.

ODNR was not releasing the juveniles' names.

Victoria Schafer, 44, was on the stairs near Old Man's Cave in Hocking Hills State Park around 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 2 when she was struck by a falling section of a tree branch that came from a cliff above. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators soon found evidence indicating that the incident was not a natural occurrence.

“I appreciate the public’s valuable contributions to this case and the perseverance and determination of the investigators,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz.

Southern Ohio Crime Stoppers offered a $10,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

ODNR is leading the ongoing investigation with assistance from the Hocking County prosecutor, sheriff and coroner; Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation; State Highway Patrol; FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.

Schafer was a wife, a mother of four who was well known around the Chillicothe community as an owner of a photography business in addition to working at Petland.

jwoods@dispatch.com

@Woodsnight