Firefighters Battle Two Residence Fires
Story from Youngstown Vindicator on 01/01/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — Firefighters battled two blazes at residences. An early morning fire at 56 Brooklyn Ave., a vacant two story house on the South Side, was intentionally set, the fire department said. When crews arrived at 5:54 a.m. Sunday the doors were open and heavy smoke and fire were seen on the second floor. Damage was set at $15,400, a total loss, and demolition requested. A kitchen fire at a Valley View apartment on Tyrell Avenue on the West Side started when oil in a pan ignited around 2 p.m. Sunday. The occupant threw water on the pan, which spread flames to the stove hood and cabinets, the fire department said. No injuries were reported. Damage was set at $3,200.

Sleeping Boy Awakened In Smoky House
Story from Youngstown Vindicator on 01/04/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — Firefighters who heard smoke alarms going off removed a front window screen at an apartment on Dogwood Lane on the East Side and yelled for the teenage boy asleep on the couch to wake up and open the door. The 13-year-old boy complied and firefighters found a pot burning on the stove at 5:20 p.m. Thursday. The boy said his mother told him about something cooking on the stove before she went out but he forgot and fell asleep. No damage was reported. Earlier on Thursday, firefighters responded to a report of a gas leak at 3031 Glenwood Ave. on the South Side and discovered that someone had tried to remove the hot water tank, which ruptured the gas line around 1 p.m. The gas was shut off and the housing department was notified to board up the vacant structure, reports show.

Photo by Greg Ricker, yougnstownfire.com Webmaster.

Fire Damages N. Meridian Warehouse
Story by Greg Ricker, youngstownfire.com Webmaster on 01/10/2008.

Engine 3 responded to 555 N. Meridian, the Helluva Good Cheese warehouse, on a fire alarm. As they were waiting for a key holder to arrive on scene, Engine 3 noticed smoke coming from the building and requested a structure fire response. Engines 15, 7, Ladder 22, Squad 33 and Battalions 1 and 2 responded. An additional 2 engine companies were requested bringing Engines 2 and 6 to the scene. The fire was confined to one room in the food distribution warehouse. Sprinklers also were activated helping to control and extinguish the fire.

Photo by Greg Ricker, yougnstownfire.com Webmaster.

Working Fire At 65 Halleck Destroys Another Vacant House
Story by Greg Ricker, youngstownfire.com Webmaster on 01/10/2008.

Fire companies arriving on scene at 65 Halleck found a 3 story brick vacant residential well off. Ladder 24 from the South side was set up and protected the adjacent house. The structure quickly collapsed into the vacant lot next to it. Engines 12, 6, 2, and Ladder 24 responded. Engine 7, Squad 33 and Battalion 2 responded from the 555 N. Meridian (westside) call.

Fire Damages South Side House
Story from Youngstown Vindicator on 01/22/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — A fire that started in the basement of a vacant house at 643 W. Boston Ave. on the South Side around 2:30 a.m. today burned through the first floor and extended to the second floor in the walls, the fire department said. The cause is under investigation. Damage was set at $10,000 and demolition was requested.

Photo by Robert Yosay and the Youngstown Vindicator.

East Side Fire Deaths Being Treated As Homicides
Story from Youngstown Vindicator on 01/23/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN - Detectives are treating the deaths of two women and four children in a house fire as homicides, city police said this morning.

Firefighters were called to 1645 Stewart Ave. on the city's East Side at 5:29 a.m. today and the suspected arson fire was under control by 9 a.m., even though smoke still billowed from a gable on the two-story wood frame house.

Fire Chief John J. O'Neill Jr. said the victims were found throughout the house. Fire officials said the Ohio State Fire Marshal would send in a dog to help search for accelerants. Police Sgt. Patrick Kelly said it appears an accelerant of some kind had been ignited on the front porch

Kelly said four survivors are being treated at St. Elizabeth Health Center.

Photo by Robert Yosay and the Youngstown Vindicator.

Victims Of Fatal Fire Identified
Story from Youngstown Vindicator on 01/23/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN - The Mahoning County Coroner has identified the six victims of a fatal arson fire on the East Side this morning.

They are: Carol Crawford, 46, her daughter Jennifer R. Crawford, 23, and Jennifer's four children, Raneija, 8, Jeannine, 5, Aleisha, 3, and Brandon, 2.

Four teenage boys were taken into custody for questioning after the predawn fire that investigators said was intentionally set.

Investigators believe an accelerant was poured on the porch of 1645 Stewart Ave. and ignited. Within minutes, flames engulfed the five-room 1 3/4 story house.

Fire Chief John J. O'Neill Jr. said 911 was called at 5:29 a.m.

Police and fire investigators were expected to provide details later today on the teenage boys being questioned.

Three other residents of the home, a man and two women, made it out of the and were taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Photo from the WYTV Channel 33 Web Site.

Youngstown Deadly Fire
Story from WYTV Channel 33 Web Site on 01/23/2008.

The fire at 1645 Stewart Avenue on the city's East side started just before five-thirty this morning. Flames fully engulfed the house, trapping the six victims inside.

Forty-six year old Carol Crawford, twenty-three year old Jennifer Crawford, and Jennifer's four children...eight year old Raneija, five year old Jeannine, three year old Aleisha, and two year old Brandon.

Kevin Johnson, fire investigator, with Youngstown fire department states, "We believe an accelerant was used on the front porch. Through the use of the state fire marshall's K-9 dog, samples obtained and sent off to the state fire marshall's office in Columbus."

Officials believe this fire is a retaliation. They say someone at 1645 Stewart witnessed a fire that occurred just across the street on New Years Eve.

Police arrested one person, eighteen year old Michael Davis this afternoon.

Suspects In Custody In Deadly House Fire
Story from Joe Gorman in the Warren Tribune Chronicle on 01/23/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — Three to four juveniles and an 18-year-old man have been taken into custody by police in connection with an early-morning house fire that killed six people on the city's eastside. According to police, Michael Davis, no address available, was arrested and charges are pending.

Neighbors say Jennifer Crawford, her mother Carol, and four children were killed in the blaze that broke out around 5 a.m. in the 1600 block of Stewart Avenue. Homicide detectives were walking the neighborhood while arson investigators sifted through the remains of the home. A specially-trained dog was concentrating on the front porch. Officials declined to release the cause of the fire at this time.

The children ranged in age from 2 to 8, with the youngest being a boy. Neighbors said the Crawfords were quiet and no trouble. "They were nice neighbors, they were good people," said next-door neighbor Brenda Brown. "They kept to themselves. They were beautiful kids." A woman Carol Crawford worked for, April Martin, said Carol "was like a sister to me. Carol worked 12 hours a day to keep those kids."

Photo by Robert Yosay and the Youngstown Vindicator.

Four Teenagers Being Questioned In Fatal Arson Fire
Story from Youngstown Vindicator on 01/23/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN - Four teenage boys were taken into custody for questioning after a predawn fire that investigators said was intentionally set claimed the lives of two women and four children.

Investigators believe an accelerant was poured on the porch of 1645 Stewart Ave. and ignited. Within minutes, flames engulfed the five-room 1 3/4 story house.

Fire Chief John J. O'Neill Jr. said 911 was called at 5:29 a.m.

Three other residents of the home, a man and two women, made it out of the and were taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Police and fire investigators were expected to provide details later today on the teenage boys being questioned.

House Fire Traps Family
Story from WFMJ TV21 Web Site on 01/23/2008.

Breaking news this morning out of Youngstown, as firefighters work to get a family out of a burning home on the city's east side.

Firefighters raced to 1645 Stewart Avenue at 5:30 this morning after reports of a fire.

Officials say two people got out of the house safely, but as many as four children and two women...a mother and a grandmother... were still trapped inside.

Stay logged on to WFMJ.com for the very latest on this developing story.

FATAL FIRE: Dispute Over Cell Phone Was Motive, Sources Say
Story from Patricia Meade in the Youngstown Vindicator on 01/24/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — The motive for a pre-dawn arson that killed two women and four children was a dispute over a stolen cell phone, a source close to the investigation told The Vindicator.

Michael Davis, 18, of 817 Bennington Ave., is charged with six counts of aggravated murder and 11 counts of aggravated arson. He was expected to be arraigned today in municipal court.

The five extra arson charges apply to the five people who escaped the blaze at 1645 Stewart Ave. Wednesday morning.

City Prosecutor Jay Macejko said Davis and three juvenile boys from the neighborhood were questioned about the crime. The boys were released and not charged, he said.

On Wednesday afternoon, police and fire officials declined to discuss motive. The multiple death toll is the city’s highest for one homicide scene as far back as detectives can remember.

Investigators said an accelerant was poured on the front porch and ignited sometime after 5 a.m. — when the temperature was 12 degrees. Within minutes, flames engulfed the five-room, 1 3/4-story, yellow wooden-frame house built in 1925. Throughout the day, smoke continued to billow out of an upstairs dormer window as arson investigators searched the structure, its interior gutted by fire.

The 6 victims

Carol Crawford, 46; her daughter Jennifer R. Crawford, 23; and Jennifer’s four children, Raneija Crawford, 8; Jeannine Crawford, 5; Aleisha Crawford, 3; and Brandon Crawford, 2, died. Raneija and Jeannine attended North Elementary, and Aleisha was enrolled in preschool at P. Ross Berry.

Capt. Alvin Ware, head of the arson bureau, “had a suspect in mind” and provided detectives with good leads that swiftly led to Davis’ arrest before noon Wednesday, said police Capt. Mike Vodilko. Ware had been investigating a porch arson across the street, at 1650 Stewart, that was set at 4 a.m. Jan. 1. He said Davis’ name came up but no charge was filed, and the investigation continues.

Vodilko said the six homicides are being investigated by Detective Sgts. Patrick Kelly and Ramon Cox.

Fire Chief John J. O’Neill Jr. said the 911 center received a call at 5:29 a.m. from a neighbor’s house. Firefighters encountered heavy smoke pouring from the house. He said the landlord was shocked to learn that 11 people had been inside.

Brenda Weaver Brown, who lives next door to 1645 Stewart, said she heard banging on her door sometime after 5 a.m. and a woman asked to use the phone to call 911 to report the fire. “I told her to tell them about the kids inside,” Brown said.

Brown said the Crawfords had lived in the house next door about three years.

“It’s sad, just so sad; what a nice family. It was unbelievable how fast it went up, the whole house,” Brown said. “The fire department did a hell of a job. I know the firefighters felt real bad.”

How fire spread

Investigators with the Ohio State Fire Marshals Office were called to the scene, including Brian Peterman and his dog Lacy, a black Labrador trained to detect accelerants. The dog sat down each time she alerted on an accelerant on the porch.

Firefighters had to step gingerly over thick ice that formed on the street from water used to put out the fire. O’Neill said five trucks and 17 firefighters were first on the scene, with two more trucks called in later.

Fire Lt. Kevin Johnson, an arson investigator, said the fire on the porch broke through the front window and went up the stairwell like it was a chimney. Flames cut off the front door, also blocked by furniture, as an exit, he said.

Johnson said all six victims were found upstairs where three bedrooms are located. He said no smoke detectors were found but could have burned off in the fire.

He had no identities of the five who escaped. One victim who survived got out a basement side door and one jumped from the second floor, he said, but he didn’t know with certainty how the other three managed to get out.

Friends at the scene

April Martin, who owns Destiny’s Thrift Shop on North Garland Avenue, said Carol Crawford worked at the business the past five years. The children who died in the fire called her Grandma April.

Martin said three of the five who had been in the house and got out were Carol Crawford’s daughter and son, Ratia Crawford and Julius Crawford, and Julius’ girlfriend. They were taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center for treatment.

Martin was one of the many friends who came to see for themselves what had happened to the Crawford family. She is accepting donations at her store to help the survivors.

“I loved Carol. She was strange sometimes, but I loved her. She was always here for me. She was only supposed to work four days a week and she often worked six,” Martin said. “I had a bat in the back room at midnight one time — we were cleaning the room — and [the Crawford family] came down, got a broom and got the bat.”

Crying, Martin said she will miss her friend a lot.

Martin, asked if she heard from Crawford friends and family about a stolen cell phone as motive, said she had.

“There had been a battle going on,” Martin said, pointing to the brick house on Bennington where Davis lives. “The police were called a lot.”

Court records show that a civil protection stalking order was sought in July by Ann Davis, 817 Bennington Ave., against Carol Crawford. The order was denied because the action was brought based on the conduct of Carol Crawford’s minor son, not her.

Rafaela Stone of Youngstown, standing near the burned house, kept wiping tears from her eyes. She said she and Carol Crawford were the best of friends who would do things for each other and talk about their problems.

Stone, too, was aware of some problems the Crawfords had with the people on Bennington. She, too, pointed to the brick house where the suspect charged with murder lives.

Patrolman Lou Ciavarella, a crime lab investigator and cat lover, had an officer on the scene call for help when he heard burned cats crying out in pain in the garage. One of the cats, to avoid capture, ran back into the basement. If the animal can be saved, Ciavarella said he would adopt it.

The more severely injured cat was taken in a wicker basket to a vet by off-duty fire Capt. Gary Chance, who is assigned to No. 15 Fire Station on the West Side. The animal had to be euthanized, Ciavarella said.

Comfort offered

“The loss of innocent lives, it’s horrendous,” said the Rev. Lewis W. Macklin II, a police chaplain. The Rev. Mr. Macklin, pastor at Holy Trinity Baptist Church, arrived at the fire scene at 5:45 a.m. and later went to the hospital to comfort family members.

“I talked to all family — siblings, grandparents, cousins. They understood it was deliberate,” he said. “In light of all the violence, the best way to honor [the victims] is not respond in violence and allow justice to take its due course.”

Mayor Jay Williams, who is out of town, issued this statement: “Let everyone in this community offer our collective prayers and support for the victims and families of this unspeakable tragedy. It is impossible to comprehend how any individual could commit such a depraved and cowardly act toward another human being; however, we will work without fail to ensure that justice is served.”

The city recorded a double arson homicide when Rakaylah Clark, 8, and Ranayja Clark, 4, died May 2, 2002, from smoke inhalation at 33 E. Lucius Ave. Firefighters found them huddled under clothes near a second-story bedroom window. The case remains unsolved.

After a firebomb was tossed in the back door about 12:30 a.m., flames spread quickly through the 2 1/2-story wooden frame house. The next-door neighbor heard a “boom,” then saw flames and called 911.

Firefighters rescued the girls’ mother, Darilyn Clark, and older sisters, Chaunte, then 11, and Crystal, then 10, from the second-story porch roof. The three had kicked out a bedroom window to escape to the roof.

Photo from the Warren Tribune Chronicle.

Man Faces Murder Charges
Story from Joe Gorman in the Warren Tribune Chronicle on 01/24/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — Carol Crawford is not the kind of person who can be summed up in words, a close friend said Wednesday morning outside the Stewart Avenue home where the 46-year-old woman died with her daughter and four grandchildren in a fire that investigators said was intentionally set.

Shivering as fire investigators sifted through debris, Raffela Stone said she could not explain the kindness of her friend.

‘‘How can I explain how nice she was?’’ Stone asked. ‘‘You have to know her.’’

Also killed were Crawford’s 23-year-old daughter Jennifer and four children; Raneija, 8; Jeannine, 5; Aleisha, 3; and 2-year-old Brandon.

Police took several juveniles into custody from a nearby home shortly after the fire broke out about 5:30 a.m. Arrested was 18-year-old Michael Davis, 817 Bennington Ave. The other juveniles were released after questioning but Davis is charged with six counts of aggravated murder and 11 counts of aggravated arson. He is expected to be arraigned in Municipal Court today.

At a press conference in City Council Chambers late Wednesday afternoon, investigators refused to comment on a motive. Arson Investigator Capt. Alvin Ware suggested to detectives on the scene that they look at Davis, who is a ‘‘person of interest’’ in another case.

A home across the street was fire bombed New Year’s Eve to which the Crawford’s may have been called as witnesses, but investigators stressed that case has no bearing on Wednesday morning’s fire. They also denied reports that the New Year’s Eve fire was a motive for the fire Wednesday morning.

Tribune Chronicle news partner News Channel 33 reported that neighbors said Davis and Crawford were feuding over a cell phone.

Investigators said the fire started on the front porch after a fire bomb was thrown there and investigators concentrated their search for evidence on the porch. A dog specially trained to sniff for accelerants at fire scenes was worked almost exclusively on the front porch.

Fire Chief John O’Neill said he suspected arson right away.

‘‘We weren’t comfortable with the progress that fire made before we got there,’’ O’Neill said.

Police and fire investigators would only say the case is an ‘‘ongoing investigation,’’ but O’Neill credited arson investigators and detectives on the quick arrest.

‘‘In my years as fire chief and in my years on the job, I don’t know if we ever turned one around that quickly to make an apprehension,’’ O’Neill said.

A next door neighbor, Brenda Brown, said she was awakened by a woman who said the house was on fire and asked to call 911. Brown said she let the woman inside to make the call and that firefighters arrived quickly.

A charred swivel horse toy was on Brown’s front lawn as she talked about the fatal fire.

‘‘They were good neighbors,’’ Brown said. ‘‘She (Jennifer Crawford) was always with her children. They were nice people. They kept to themselves.’’

The kids played a lot outside, Brown said.

‘‘They were beautiful kids,’’ Brown said.

April Martin owns a novelty store where Carol Crawford worked for five years. She said Carol Crawford was ‘‘like my sister’’ and worked extra hours so she could help take care of her grandchildren.

‘‘She was my right arm,’’ Martin said. ‘‘She knew where everything was at.’’

O’Neill said there were as many as five other people in the home at the time of the fire. Investigators said several pieces of furniture were strewn throughout the home and a couch was wedged against the front door, which hampered rescue efforts.

O’Neill said the home was already engulfed in flames when crews arrived within three minutes after receiving the call. Arson investigator Lt. Kevin Johnson said the fire started on the porch, broke through a window and then swept up a staircase, cutting off any means of escape.

‘‘A lot like a chimney, it went up the stairwell,’’ Johnson said.

A police officer was there before fire crews arrived, but could not get inside the home because of the flames, said police Capt. Michael Vodilko said.

After arson investigators suggested Davis as a suspect, Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force officers were sent to his home and he was taken into custody.

Homicide detectives went door to door in the neighborhood and the juveniles who were questioned by police were kept sequestered in the Detective Bureau. The youths were wearing white jumpsuits with nametags attached instead of their clothes, which were being tested for evidence.

A former classmate of Raneija Crawford’s at East Middle School was at the scene and a neighbor who would not give his name said there has been trouble in the neighborhood recently with juveniles, but police have not done anything about it.

Mayor Jay Williams was out of town, but his Chief of Staff, Jason Whitehead, said the mayor was calling in regularly for updates and that officials send their prayers and condolences to the family.

‘‘This is a horrible event, almost indescribable,’’ Whitehead said. ‘‘It is very, very disturbing.’’

In a press release later in the day, Williams weighed in on the tragedy: ‘‘It is impossible to comprehend how any individual could commit such a depraved and cowardly act toward another human being.’’

O’Neill said the only fire he can remember that was worse was the deaths of seven people in a South Side house fire sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

Judge Denies Bond
Story from Joe Gorman in the Warren Tribune Chronicle on 01/25/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — It is the worst-known mass murder in the city’s history.

But the 18-year-old charged with six counts of aggravated murder doesn’t yet grasp the severity, according to a city prosecutor.

Michael Davis, who was denied bond at his arraignment Thursday morning, also faces 11 counts of aggravated arson in the early Wednesday morning firebombing that killed four children, their mother and grandmother. Five others escaped the fire.

‘‘I don’t think it’s set on him yet what he’s charged with,’’ City Prosecutor Jay Macejko said. ‘‘I don’t think he knows the enormity of what he’s done.’’

Dead are 46-year-old Carol Crawford; her 23-year-old daughter Jennifer; Raneija, 8; Jeannine, 5; Aleisha, 3; and Brandon, 2. They were inside their home at 1645 Stewart Ave. when an arsonist set the house ablaze, reportedly over a stolen cell phone.

Davis, whose home is about a block away at 817 Bennington Ave., spoke briefly during his arraignment via video hookup from the Mahoning County Jail. Davis said: ‘‘I ain’t got no job right now’’ when Judge Robert Douglas asked how he supported himself.

Davis appeared lackadaisical during his arraignment, and Macejko argued that Davis should be denied bond for ‘‘his safety and the safety of the community.’’

Investigators are refusing to comment on a motive, although reports say the fire was set over a stolen cellular phone and the two families did not get along. Macejko said at one time Davis was friends with some of the Crawfords.

Macejko said Davis could face additional charges because six of the 33 firefighters at the scene were injured at the home where the front lawn has turned into a makeshift vigil of flowers and stuffed animals in memory of the victims.

Davis and the witnesses have provided statements to investigators, but Macejko would not term Davis’ statement as a confession.

Davis and three juveniles, including two of his brothers, were taken into custody shortly after the blaze on the recommendation of arson investigator Capt. Alvin Ware. Investigators say Davis is a ‘‘person of interest’’ in another case, which brought him to Ware’s attention.

Others could be charged as well, Macejko said. When asked if Davis was taking the blame for someone else, Macejko said, ‘‘I’m not saying there weren’t other people involved, but I’m extremely confident he (Davis) was the main individual.’’

The firefighters who answered the call were off duty Thursday but are expected to return today. Fire Chief John O’Neill said their supervisors have been in contact with them to see if they need help coping with the aftermath of the blaze. He said all those firefighters will meet at the main fire station today and will be addressed by him. He said those firefighters will have a chance to speak individually to other supervisors and if they want counseling, it will be provided.

O’Neill said he especially worries about younger firefighters who have never worked a fatal fire before, although he was quick to point out that the six deaths are something that has never happened even to veteran firefighters. He said how they handle the aftermath is up to the individual firefighter.

‘‘Everybody handles stress differently,’’ O’Neill said. ‘‘We pay special attention to those who have never dealt with this before.’’

Firefighters injured Wednesday were hurt trying to get the family out. Although the home was cluttered and furniture was piled against doors, O’Neill said firefighters were able to get it out of the way quickly and risked their lives to get at the victims, who all died upstairs.

O’Neill said those firefighters are not quite sure how to handle the attention, because in their eyes, they do not feel good about themselves because of so many fatalities.

‘‘We were in there in seconds,’’ O’Neill said. ‘‘We busted the doors down and went right in. They went upstairs without hose lines.’’



jgorman@tribune-chronicle.com

Deadly Fire Reaction
Story from WYTV Channel 33 Web Site on 01/25/2008.

The neighbors and relatives had woke up Wednesday to a terrible scene and as the morning went on, more friends and family members arrived to see what had happened.

Demeka Wilson was lucky to escape the burning home and she remembers the Crawford family, "Nice to be around, willing to take you in if you needed help or anything. They were willing to give it to you with open arms and a big heart, they just really didn't deserve what happened at all...at all."

The focus now is on the Crawford family survivors, and justice after arson and murder.

Arson Arrest
Story from WYTV Channel 33 Web Site on 01/25/2008.

Eighteen year old Michael Davis is charged with six counts of aggravated murder and eleven counts of aggravated arson.

In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, investigators say it's highly unusual to already have someone in custody, less than twenty-four hours after the incident but one detective had a hunch Davis was involved.

Police say they went to Davis' home, which isn't far from the arson scene, questioned and arrested him. Davis was behind bars before twelve-thirty Wednesday afternoon.

Police would not comment on a motive, but say Davis' name was brought up in another arson on New Year's Eve.

It is not known whether they're looking for more suspects, but police continue to investigate.

Eagles To Give Donation Friday To YFD
Story from Youngstown Vindicator on 01/25/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — The city fire department will purchase critically needed fire investigation equipment thanks to a $1,700 donation from the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 213.

The check was to be presented in a ceremony Friday at the lodge, 451 Miller Ave. The money was raised through donations from the organization’s members, said Eagles Trustee Bill Meenachan.

Makeshift Memorial Created At Deadly Fire Scene
Story from WFMJ TV21 Web Site on 01/25/2008.

Monday's tragic fire is bringing a wave of emotions to many in the valley. A makeshift memorial is being created at the scene of the deadly blaze. People expressing their condolences have brought flowers and teddy bears to the Stewart Avenue home. Carol Crawford died in the fire, along with her daughter Jennifer.. and four grandchildren eight year-old Raneija, five year-old Jeannine, three year-old Aleisha, and two year-old Brandon.

Families Feuding Since The Summer
Story from Joe Gorman in the Warren Tribune Chronicle on 01/25/2008.

OUNGSTOWN — It appears to be a modern day family feud — only Youngstown style.

At least that is how a friend of the family that was killed in a firebombing early Wednesday describes life on the East Side of a city that has gained a national reputation for its violence.

The suspect in the arson that killed six people, including four children had been feuding with the victims’ family since the summer, reports indicate.

The family of 18-year-old Michael Davis, 187 Bennington Ave., and 46-year-old Carol Crawford, 1645 Stewart Ave., who live about a block apart, had been at odds since July with accusations of gunfire and threats of beatings, police reports show.

April Martin, who owns a thrift store where Carol Crawford worked, said Crawford especially worried about her older children.

Martin said in the neighborhood they live in, people do not sit back and let bygones be bygones.

‘‘It just seems like everybody gotta get everybody back,’’ Martin said. ‘‘It’s like a gang.’’

Earlier, Carol Crawford offered to provide police with information in a fire across the street where Davis’ brothers were suspects, but a police report said she wanted to remain anonymous because she was afraid of retaliation.

A police report said Carol Crawford was willing to talk to investigators, but a sentence added: ‘‘she fears retaliation if she were to be exposed.’’

A close friend of Crawford, who died along with her 23-year-old daughter Jennifer and her four grandchildren, also said the elder Crawford was worried about the feud.

April Martin, who owns a thrift store where Carol Crawford worked, said Crawford especially worried about her older children.

Martin said in the neighborhood they live in, people do not sit back and let bygones be bygones.

‘‘It just seems like everybody gotta get everybody back,’’ Martin said. ‘‘It’s like a gang.’’

Investigators have not offered a motive for the fire, which broke out on the front porch about 5:30 a.m. and trapped the victims upstairs, where they died. Reports say the blaze was set because of a dispute over a cell phone, and investigators denied reports Wednesday that the blaze was connected to the fire across the street from Crawford’s home.

Davis was taken into custody shortly after the Wednesday morning fire with two of his younger brothers and a third juvenile. The juveniles were released, but more charges are expected to be filed, City Prosecutor Jay Macejko said after Davis was arraigned in Municipal Court Thursday. He is being held without bond.

On July 19, Davis’ mother Ann filed a report saying that a son of Crawford’s had threatened to beat her up. On July 24, police were called to the area for a fight with weapons, where Ann Davis told them Crawford’s son Julius was threatening them about a citation he was issued for loud music in Cleveland that he was asked to pay. The report does not state who was cited.

The report says Davis’ husband told Crawford to leave and he said he would bring his sister over to beat up Davis. The wife ran outside as the two argued and she heard a gunshot, but she was not sure where it came from. The husband had left before police arrived, the report states.

Julius Crawford told police in the report he was playing football with friends when Ann Davis’ husband came outside and said the Crawfords were responsible for paying the ticket. When Julius Crawford refused, he said, the husband pulled a gun and shot at him. Julius Crawford ran back to his home, where police were called, the report states.

Davis’ 16-year-old brother, Scott, was stabbed in the eye New Year’s night while walking on Stewart Avenue near Katherine Street, but that is not connected to the Crawfords, investigators said. On Jan.3, a neighbor at 1650 Stewart Ave. said he answered a knock on his door and was pummelled by two of Davis’ brothers and a third person who lived at their house.

The man said he went to the hospital and after he was home, he heard glass breaking while he was lying down. When he looked, he saw one of the people who had beaten him pouring liquid around the outside and a short time later the house caught on fire. The man fled to a home on Jackson Street, from where he called police.

The Davis brothers also are listed in a police report as suspects in a Jan. 18 burglary at 1484 Stewart Ave.



jgorman@tribune-chronicle.com

Flames Were Too Strong, Survivor Says
Story from Denise Dick in the Youngstown Vindicator on 01/25/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — One survivor of a blaze that killed six family members says she tried to get upstairs to aid her mother, sister, nieces and nephew — but the flames were too strong.

Retia Crawford, 19, was asleep in her basement bedroom early Wednesday when she was awakened by Christopher Taylor, a friend of her brother’s.

“He told me the house was on fire,” she said.

They headed for the living room “but the fire was too big,” Crawford said.

She and Taylor ran out a side door from the basement, and Crawford called 911 from a neighbor’s house.

Her mother, Carol, 46; sister, Jennifer, 23; three nieces, Ranaisha, 8, Jeannine, 5, and Aleisha, 3; and nephew, Brandon, 2, died. Investigators found their bodies in upstairs bedrooms. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Michael A. Davis, 18, of 817 Bennington Ave., around the corner from the Crawford home, is charged with six counts of aggravated murder and 11 counts of aggravated arson. He’s being held in the Mahoning County Jail without bond.

Also among the survivors are Julius Crawford, 16, Carol’s son and Retia’s brother, and Ricky Williams, 16, a family friend. Julius jumped out a second-story window, his sister said.

She knew her six family members hadn’t gotten out.

“How could I not know?” she said.

April Martin, owner of the thrift store where Carol Crawford worked, has said that she gave Retia and Julius the down-payment for an apartment on the city’s East Side.

“My mom, she was a beautiful, wonderful person,” Retia said. “She was nice to everyone; my sister, the same thing.”

The kids were crazy, she said.

“We used to play [R&B] music for them and they’d dance around,” Retia Crawford said.

She said she knew before detectives even told her that the fire had been intentionally set.

“I just knew,” Retia Crawford said. “I felt it in my heart.”

She’s heard about the motive of a stolen cell phone but doesn’t know much about it. Retia Crawford says she knows Davis, but her family stayed away from his family.

She was blunt regarding what she’d say to the man charged in the deaths of her family members.

“He needs to die,” Retia Crawford said. “Just like he killed my family, he needs to die, too.”

Judge Denies Bail For Suspect In City’s Worst Mass Murder
Story from By Patricia Meade in the Youngstown Vindicator on 01/25/2008.

A friend of the family is raising funds to help pay for the six burials.

YOUNGSTOWN — A handwritten note at the home of the man accused of lighting a fire that killed two women and four children warns visitors: “If you don’t live here don’t knock on this door. Thank you, Davis Family.”

The suspect, Michael A. Davis, 18, of 817 Bennington Ave., was video arraigned Thursday in municipal court on six counts of aggravated murder and 11 counts of aggravated arson. The extra five arson counts apply to five people who made it out of the small frame house at 1645 Stewart Ave. Wednesday morning.

Investigators said an accelerant was poured on the front porch and ignited sometime after 5 a.m., and within minutes, flames engulfed the structure. The six victims were all in upstairs bedrooms.

Davis’ house on Bennington is just around the corner from the fire victims’ home.

City Prosecutor Jay Macejko told Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr. that no bail would ensure Davis’ safety or the safety of the community.

“There will be no bond — hold for court,” the judge said. Davis will be back in court Feb. 1 for a preliminary hearing if the case is not directly presented to a Mahoning County grand jury before then.

Who perished, who escaped

Carol Crawford, 46, her daughter Jennifer R. Crawford, 23, and Jennifer’s four children, Ranaisha, 8; Jeannine, 5; Aleisha, 3; and Brandon, 2, perished in the fire. Escaping were a family friend, Ricky Williams, 16, and Carol Crawford’s daughter and son, Julius Crawford, 16, and Retia Crawford, 19. Not all survivors’ names were immediately available from investigators.

“The proof is evident, the presumption great” that Davis committed the crime, Macejko said in court. More aggravated arson charges could be filed against Davis because six of the 33 firefighters who responded were injured moving furniture, tearing burglar bars off windows or other ways, he said.

The injuries included back and shoulder strains and a cut finger that required five stitches, the fire department said, adding all firefighters who were at the Stewart Avenue fire are returning to work todayas scheduled.

Macejko said obstruction of justice charges are being considered for those who may have impeded the investigation. Davis and others provided statements to investigators but Macejko wouldn’t say if Davis confessed. Davis, two of his younger brothers and another boy were questioned after the arson, the prosecutor said.

Davis, slouched in a chair for his arraignment, appeared unfazed by the charges and the prosecutor’s comments about bond. At one point, the young man leaned his head back to rest it on the cement block wall at the jail’s video room.

When asked if he could afford to hire a lawyer he said, “No.”

Judge Douglas then asked Davis how he supports himself. Davis replied: “I ain’t got no job no more.”

A lawyer will be appointed to represent him.

“I don’t know if it set in on him,” Macejko said afterward of Davis’ calm demeanor.

No prior criminal record

Macejko said Davis has no adult criminal record and no juvenile record that he’s aware of yet. He said detectives do have a motive but he declined to discuss it.

A source close to the investigation has told The Vindicator that a dispute over a stolen cell phone was the motive for the crime.

Macejko said there is “certainly the possibility” that the death penalty would apply for the six homicides but explained that the decision is up to the county prosecutor. He said the six who died represent the largest mass murder in the city.

Fire Capt. Alvin Ware, head of the arson bureau who provided detectives with leads that led to Davis’ arrest, received high praise from Macejko.

Court records show that a civil protection stalking order was sought last July by Davis’ mother, Ann Davis, 817 Bennington Ave., against Carol Crawford. The order was denied because the action was brought based on the conduct of Carol Crawford’s minor son, not her. On July 24, Ann Davis, 35, told police that Julius Crawford had threatened her.

Since the deadly fire, stuffed animals — bear, bunny and tiger — along with flowers have been placed in the front yard of 1645 Stewart Ave. The house is boarded up now, gutted by fire.

April Martin, owner of Destiny’s Thrift Shop at 719 N. North Garland Ave, said Thursday that she gave siblings Julius Crawford and Reita Crawford the downpayment so they could rent an apartment on the East Side. Carol Crawford worked at the business the past five years.

Funds needed for burials

Martin said the surviving family needs money for burial expenses. She is accepting contributions at her shop.

Martin said she spoke by phone Thursday to Carol Crawford’s imprisoned son, Conovis Crawford, and learned that he sadly won’t be allowed to attend the funeral. “He said, ‘I just want to go home.’”

Conovis Crawford, 20, has been incarcerated at the Belmont Correctional Institution since November 2006 and is due out in August 2017. He was convicted of shooting a man in Youngstown.

Davis, meanwhile, was a student at East High School when classes began in September, but he and his younger siblings withdrew from the system shortly afterward.

Dr. Wendy Webb, superintendent, said the Davis family informed the district that they intended to move for reasons of employment and that their children would be home-schooled until the relocation. She didn’t know how many children were involved or where the family intended to move.

meade@vindy.com

Gift To YFD
Story from WYTV Channel 33 Web Site on 01/26/2008.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles presented seventeen hundred dollars to the arson squad. The Eagles gives money to various organizations with the hopes of giving back to the community.

The money will be used to purchase new equipment to help firefighters on the job.

"We're trying to help the community out here. Our money stays here. So, that's basically what we do. We are going to keep it right here in town.", explains Billy Meenachan with the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles has given money to the police and K-9 units in the past.

Firefighters Focus On Family Of Six Victims
Story from Youngstown Vindicator on 01/26/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — Firefighters who worked at the devastating fire on Stewart Street that killed six people aren’t thinking about themselves, said Fire Chief John O’Neill.

Twenty-four firefighters on the shift that handled the pre-dawn fire Wednesday were told Friday morning that if any of them need counseling, it’s available through chaplains or through St. Elizabeth Health Center, O’Neill said.

But mainly, he said, their thoughts are with the family that lost a mother, a grandmother and four children.

They died in an arson that’s being called the worst mass murder in the city’s history.

Accused of setting fire to the family’s porch as they slept inside at around 5 a.m. is Michael Davis, 18, of 817 Bennington Ave. Charged with six counts of aggravated murder, he’s being held without bond and will be arraigned Feb. 1 if his case isn’t directly presented to a county grand jury first.

He is also charged with 11 counts of aggravated arson. Five people made it out of the burning house as Carol Crawford, 46; her daughter Jennifer R. Crawford, 23; and Jennifer’s children, Ranaisha Crawford, 8; Jeannine Crawford, 5; Aleisha Crawford, 3; and Brandon Crawford, 2, perished in upstairs bedrooms.

A dispute over a cell phone was the motive, a source close to the investigation has told the Vindicator.

O’Neill said that none of the firefighters on duty Wednesday morning at 1645 Stewart has indicated a need for counseling. He said counseling is not something the department would force them to go through.

“Firefighters are like doctors or nurses,” he said. “Unfortunately, we face bad things often.

“It’s the profession you’ve chosen, and it’s what you have to deal with,” he said.

He said firefighters on that shift are all back at work, including eight who suffered bumps, bruises and cuts.

“And they want to be here,” he said.

The chief said they are warned to watch for signs that they need counseling — nightmares, or an inability to get certain thoughts out of their heads.

He said, though, that the overwhelming sentiment at Friday morning’s meeting was a feeling of sympathy for the family.

Others are expressing that feeling as well.

Summit Academy, on North Schenley Avenue, is encouraging every school in the area to have one fundraiser for the family.

Summit raised $217 from a dress-down day.

“It may not seem like much, but every little bit helps,” the school said in a prepared statement.

Rebecca Phillips, secretary at Summit, explained that many schools have dress-down days as a common way to raise money for field trips or other events. At Summit, where pupils wear uniforms, they pay 50 cents to wear jeans for the day. Faculty members pay $2 to wear jeans.

“We’re a small school — 150 students,” she said. Imagine how much money a school district could raise, she said. All the schools and school districts together could raise thousands of dollars to help the family with funeral expenses, she said.

Anyone who wants to donate money toward funeral expenses can do so at L.E. Black, Phillips and Holden Funeral Home, 1951 McGuffey Road, Youngstown, 44505, said a spokeswoman for the funeral home.

People can bring the money in and get a receipt, she said, or people who would rather mail a check will a get receipt mailed back.

Checks should be made out in the funeral home’s name, she said, and add “Crawford family” on the memo line.

Prosecutor Says He’ll Seek Death Penalty In Arson Case
Story from Peter H. Milliken in the Youngstown Vindicator on 01/26/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — The arson and murder case against Michael A. Davis will be directly presented Thursday to the Mahoning County grand jury with death-penalty specifications, said Paul J. Gains, county prosecutor.

"We’re going to present evidence to the grand jury and instruct them on the law, including the death specifications, where applicable,” Gains said Friday. “The grand jury will be given all options under the law,” he added.

Gains said he’d rather not discuss the case too much because he was concerned about the effects of pretrial publicity.

“You guys have basically convicted this guy in the media,” objected Martin Yavorcik, Davis’ court-appointed lawyer. Yavorcik added that his client’s only court appearance was Thursday in municipal court by video arraignment.

Calling Davis “a very quiet guy,” Yavorcik said he met with him for four hours Thursday evening in Mahoning County jail, where he is being held without bond.

As for Davis’ demeanor in jail, Yavorcik said: “I think it was complete and utter disbelief that he’s sitting in jail charged with the largest mass murder in the history of Youngstown.”

Six people, including four children, died in Wednesday’s early morning blaze at 1645 Stewart Ave.

Robert E. Bush, chief of the criminal division in the county prosecutor’s office, said he expects death specifications will be attached, where applicable, to all six aggravated-murder counts. If he isn’t sentenced to die, Davis faces a potential life prison term if he’s convicted of any of the aggravated-murder counts, Bush said.

The 16 death specifications would allege four deceased victims were under age 13, there were multiple murder victims, and that the murders were committed during the commission of another felony, namely aggravated arson.

Bush said he also expects the indictment to contain 11 aggravated-arson counts, one for each person in the burning house, including the six who died and the five who escaped, plus one for each of eight firefighters the fire department said were injured while fighting the blaze.

Gains said he’d oppose setting any bond for Davis, 18, of 817 Bennington Ave., because of the seriousness of the charges and because he considers him a flight risk.

“I’m absolutely going to seek a bond because he’s presumed innocent,” until proved guilty, Yavorcik said. “My guy’s not a flight risk,” Yavorcik said, adding that Davis lives with his mother and stepfather. “He doesn’t know anywhere else in the world,” and doesn’t own or drive a car, he added.

Yavorcik said it is “highly likely” that defense counsel will seek a change of venue to move the trial to another county because of the considerable pretrial publicity. Typically, the trial judge decides whether to grant such a motion after jury selection gets under way.

The decisive question for potential jurors is not whether they know about the case, but whether they have formed an opinion as to Davis’ guilt or innocence, Bush said.

Bush and Robert Andrews, assistant county prosecutor, are now working on the case, and Gains said, he, too, may become directly involved in the prosecution.

If the indictment contains death-penalty specifications, two defense lawyers must be appointed. Yavorcik said he is state-certified to be co-counsel for such a case but not to be the lead defense lawyer.

Only three Mahoning County lawyers are qualified to be lead counsel in such cases, according to the Ohio Supreme Court Web site. They are John Juhasz, Lou DeFabio and James Gentile.

Bush said Davis’ youthfulness would not be a reason for him not to seek the death penalty. “The facts more than warrant the death specifications being sought,” Bush said. “You’ve got six victims. You have four victims under 13, and it was purposeful,’’ he added.

There is a recent Ohio precedent for executing someone who was 18 at the time he committed an aggravated murder. Adremy Dennis of Akron was executed by lethal injection in October 2004 for the death of Kurt Kyle, a Columbiana native and race car driver, who was fatally shot in an Akron robbery that netted $15 in 1994.

Dennis, executed at age 28 after 10 years on death row, was then the youngest inmate put to death in Ohio since 1962.

Woman Claims Survivors Of Fire Threatened To Blow Up Her House
Story from Joe Gorman in the Warren Tribune Chronicle on 01/26/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — Ann Davis says her son Michael is protecting a killer.

The mother of the 18-year-old Bennington Avenue man who is accused of setting a fire Wednesday morning at 1645 Stewart Ave. that killed six people — including four children — says her son knows who did it but will not talk for some reason.

‘‘I know he’s protecting somebody and he needs to open his mouth,’’ Davis said Friday inside a Belmont Avenue restaurant. ‘‘I don’t know why he’s not snitched on the person who did this.’’

Michael Davis is being held in the Mahoning County Jail without bond on six aggravated murder charges in the deaths of 46-year-old Carol Crawford, her 23-year-old daughter Jennifer and her four children. Police say Davis threw a firebomb onto the front porch of the home early Wednesday morning. He also faces 11 counts of aggravated arson. Five other people in the house escaped.

Ann Davis said her son is protecting a juvenile in the neighborhood, but she refused to say who it is. Investigators have refused to comment on a motive, but some reports say it was over a stolen cellular phone. Police reports document incidents between the Crawford and Davis families since July. They live less than a block apart.

On Thursday City Prosecutor Jay Macejko said police were confident Michael Davis was the sole person responsible for setting the fire.

‘‘He’s not evil. He’s a wonderful person,’’ Ann Davis said about her son through tears. ‘‘He’s innocent until proven guilty.’’

‘‘I just want him to know I love him and everybody’s praying for him,’’ Ann Davis said. ‘‘I know he didn’t do it. I know in my heart he didn’t do it.’’

Ann Davis debunked reports that the two families did not get along, saying her son played with Jennifer Crawford’s children frequently.

‘‘There ain’t no feud,’’ she said. ‘‘They’re best friends.’’

She did say there were some problems, however. She said there were ‘‘bigger issues’’ than a stolen cell phone, but she would not say what they were.

‘‘He (Michael Davis) trusted those people, and they stole from him,’’ Ann Davis said.

Ann Davis said Julius Crawford had threatened her once and she called police, but did not want to press charges. She also said family members who survived the blaze threatened to blow up her house Friday as she was returning to pick up some photos. She said she is staying with friends because it is too dangerous to stay at her home.

She said her son is a good kid who ‘‘might have’’ stole some cars when he was younger and was enrolled for three years in the Junior ROTC program at the Rayen School and was in it this year when he transferred to East High School. He decided to drop out of high school to work full time and was going to be home-schooled.

She also said her son had joined the U.S. Army and was going to be an infantryman.

‘‘If he did it — and I don’t think he did it — someone had to push him over the edge,’’ Ann Davis said.

She said she has not spoken with her son since he was taken into custody by Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force officers shortly after the fire was put out. Arson investigators told police to question Davis because he is a ‘‘person of interest’’ in an unrelated case. Also taken into custody were his two younger brothers. They were released.

Ann Davis said the last thing she told her son was to tell the truth. She said she was upset he did not have a lawyer and that police took her two juvenile sons into custody without her consent.

She said she needs money for a good defense for her son and that she does not want to move too far away so she can be close to him during his legal proceedings.



jgorman@tribune-chronicle.com

Offers Coming In To Help Family In Deadly Arson
Story from Joe Gorman in the Warren Tribune Chronicle on 01/26/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — As offers of help came pouring in Friday to help a family that lost six members in an arson earlier this week, a detective is waiting for a call to help him make an arrest in a 2002 case where two children were killed by a firebomb.

The Rev. Lewis Macklin, a Police Department chaplain who was at 1645 Stewart Ave. early Wednesday morning during the arson that killed 46-year-old Carol Crawford, 23-year-old Jennifer Crawford and four children, is asking area churches to hold second collections this week to help the surviving family members pay funeral expenses and to start anew.

A fund also has been set up at National City Bank for the family. Anyone wishing to donate can do so at any National City branch in the name of the Crawford family, Macklin said.

The four children who were killed are Raneija, 8; Jeannine, 5; Aleisha, 3; and Brandon, 2.

Arrested in the arson is 18-year-old Michael Davis, 817 Bennington Ave. He is in the Mahoning County Jail with no bond after being arraigned Thursday in Municipal Court on six counts of aggravated murder and 11 counts of aggravated arson. He is expected to be indicted by a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court grand jury next week.

A Warren businessman, Robert Phillips, who owns American Auto Repair on Mahoning Avenue N.W., said he plans to donate $1,000 to the fund and is challenging other businesses to either match his contribution or give 10 percent. He said he saw someone in need and just wants to help out.

‘‘It’s a tragedy,’’ Phillips said.

But police also are looking for help in another deadly arson. Police Detective Sgt. John Kelty is looking for information on an arson May 2, 2002, 33 E. Lucius Ave. that killed 8-year-old Rakaylah Clark and 4-year-old Ranoyja Clark. Both were killed by smoke inhalation while sleeping, according to fire reports.

Kelty said the fire started after someone threw a bomb through a front window. Their mother was on the roof with two other children screaming that two other children were in the house.

There is a suspect in the Lucius Avenue arson but police do not have enough evidence to prosecute. Kelty declined to discuss a motive.



jgorman@tribune-chronicle.com

Davis’ Mom: ‘He Wouldn’t Hurt No Kids’
Story from Youngstown Vindicator on 01/26/2008.

Michael Davis’ mother believes her son is covering for someone else.

YOUNGSTOWN — The mother of the man charged with setting a fire that killed two women and four children believes her son is innocent.

“I know he wouldn’t hurt no kids,” Ann Davis told WFMJ TV21 in an interview Friday. “His sister is 5 years old, so I know he wouldn’t.”

Her son, Michael Davis, 18, is charged with six counts of aggravated murder and 11 counts of aggravated arson in the early Wednesday blaze on Stewart Avenue. The fire killed Carol Crawford, 46, her daughter, Jennifer R. Crawford, 23, and Jennifer’s four children, Ranaisha, 8; Jeannine, 5; Aleisha, 3; and Brandon, 2.

The Davises live on Bennington Avenue around the corner from the Crawford home.

“I am sorry for the Crawford family,” she said.

Davis told 21 News that she believes her son is covering for someone — although she doesn’t know who.

“My son woke me and said Julius’ house is on fire,” Davis said. “I said, ‘Call 911.’”

Julius Crawford, 16, one of the survivors of the fire, and Michael were friends, she said. They both attended East High School and worked together at a McDonald’s restaurant.

Davis learned from watching the news later that morning that six members of the Crawford family died in the fire.

“That really hurted me,” she said. “The Crawfords was good people, they really was.”

The two families had known each other for about three years.

“I just can’t believe this happened,” Davis said.

She said Michael has issues including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and that he’s had brushes with the law for stealing cars. But he’s never been violent, she said.

“For the last year, he’s been improving a lot,” Davis said. “He was talking about going to the Army, going to college, and then all of this happened.”

She says she knows her son isn’t guilty.

“He’s too kind-hearted,” Davis said. “Just like if they needed something, he would give it to them. Even if it was the last dollar he had, he would give it to them.”

She hasn’t spoken to her son since he was arrested and wishes that he would call her.

Sources have said that a dispute over a stolen cell phone was the motive for the fire that started on the front porch of the Crawford home.

Davis said that her son’s cell phone had been stolen and that he had asked both Julius and another boy if they had it. Both denied they did, but she said that Julius then answered the cell phone.

“That hurt Michael,” she said. “Julius know how Michael was about people stealing from us, and Julius sweared he didn’t take the phone.”

But she doesn’t think her son would hurt children over a cell phone.

Fire Damages West Side Apartment
Story from WFMJ TV21 Web Site on 01/30/2008.

Youngstown firefighters had to brave the wind and cold Wednesday to battle a blaze on the West Side.

One woman living in an apartment on Tyrell Street needed medical attention after flames broke out in a kitchen.

Investigators are looking for the cause of the fire which left more than 60-thousand dollars in damage.

Photo from the WKBN TV27 Web Site.

Westside Apartment Fire
Story from Gerry Ricciutti in the WKBN TV 27 Web Site on 01/30/2008.

Fire crews were called to this complex on Tyrell around twelve thirty Wednesday afternoon. Although everyone was evacuated from the building, one woman was hurt when she fell down a flight of stairs trying to get out.

Meantime, firefighters were forced to battle more than just the flames and smoke, having to contend with a pair of frozen hydrants, and wind chills below zero.

Investigators do not believe the fire was arson.

Arson Case Brings IQ Concerns
Story from Patricia Meade in the Youngstown Vindicator on 01/30/2008.

The suspect is a slow learner and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, his mother said.

YOUNGSTOWN — The lawyer who represents the man accused of a fire that killed six people wants a mental evaluation to be done, concerned that his client can’t read.

Youngstown attorney Martin E. Yavorcik said Tuesday that he discovered the problem when he brought legal documents to 18-year-old Michael A. Davis at the Mahoning County jail.

Davis, of Bennington Avenue, is charged with six counts of aggravated murder and 11 counts of aggravated arson and is being held in solitary confinement without bond.

“He didn’t finish high school and says he can’t read at all,” said Yavorcik, who was court-appointed to represent Davis. “He wouldn’t look at the papers I brought and said, ‘I can’t read,’ so I have concerns.”

Yavorcik said he will request a mental evaluation for his client once the case is assigned to a judge at Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. He is aware that the case will be presented to a grand jury Thursday and that prosecutors want the death penalty.

Carol Crawford, 46, her daughter Jennifer R. Crawford, 23, and Jennifer’s four children, Ranaisha, 8, Jeannine, 5, Aleisha, 3, and Brandon, 2, all perished in upstairs bedrooms at their Stewart Avenue home. An accelerant on the porch was ignited sometime after 5 a.m. Jan. 23.

“Michael confessed [to detectives] so that they would not arrest everyone at the house,” his mother, Ann Davis, told The Vindicator on Tuesday. “I know he wouldn’t hurt those kids, he has a sister of his own. He used to play football with Brandon and chase the girls around the yard.”

The Davis family house on Bennington is just around the corner from where the Crawfords lived on Stewart.

Yavorcik said he couldn’t comment on whether his client confessed to protect his family. “If it occurred, it’s an issue I’ll have to address,” he said.

Ann Davis, when asked about Michael’s reading ability, described him as a slow learner who has difficulty reading. She said she also has documents to show that he suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

She said her younger sons, Scott, 16, and James, 17, gave DNA samples (mouth swabs) at the police department crime lab this week because urine was found in the backyard of the fire scene. The DNA tests, she said, were taken to rule them out as suspects in the arson.

She said a 15-year-old boy who stayed overnight at her home set the fire and Michael “went to stop the fire.” She said she learned from detectives that lighter fluid was used.

Within two hours of the fire, Michael Davis, his brothers and another boy were questioned by detectives. Only Michael was arrested and his clothes seized.

“I admit my kids ain’t perfect — teenagers get into trouble,” Ann Davis said. “They’re not bullies, they only fight people who fight with them.”

She said that, as a juvenile, her son Michael “was just stealing cars — that’s it.” Michael Davis became an adult Dec. 15, 2007, roughly a month before the deadly arson.

Ann Davis said her family is no longer staying at the house on Bennington and has moved out of town. She said there had been threats to blow up her home since the fire. Police were assigned to keep an eye on the place.

Yavorcik said he intends to try and reach his client’s mother this week to talk about the case, adding that Michael wants money for his commissary account at the jail. Inmates use the account to buy snacks.

Ann Davis said she intends to visit her son at the jail today and will give him more money for the account. She said she wants to hire a lawyer from Cleveland and not have one who is appointed. Yavorcik said she has every right to retain counsel.

A source has said that a dispute over a stolen cell phone served as motive for the arson. An AT&T cell phone was logged in as evidence at the police department Monday.

Fire Capt. Alvin Ware, meanwhile, said the age of the Crawford house on Stewart had nothing to do with the fire spreading so fast. He said the accelerant used caused the flames to engulf the house within minutes.

Records show the five-room 13⁄4-story yellow wood frame house was built in 1925.

Ware, head of the arson bureau, said old houses may experience electrical problems that could possibly cause a fire. The house on Stewart had been in good shape overall, he said.

Constructionwise, some older houses, even hundreds of years old, are better than new ones if well maintained, Ware said. The houses that do burn fast, he said, are vacant, wide-open structures with open doors and windows that allow the flames to spread quickly.

meade@vindy.com

Michael Davis Indicted By Grand Jury
Story from WFMJ TV21 Web Site on 01/31/2008.

Just two days before a family of six is laid to rest, the 18-year-old man suspected of starting the fire that killed them is indicted by a Mahoning County Grand Jury.

That means Michael Davis will go on trial on 29-charges.

Counts 1 through six are for aggravated murder,
counts seven through 10 are also for murder,
and counts 11 through 20 are for aggravated arson.

Apartment Fire
Story from Youngstown Vindicator on 02/01/2008.

YOUNGSTOWN — A fire early Wednesday afternoon forced the evacuation of the occupants of 12-unit apartment complex at 2660 Tyrell St. into the freezing cold. One woman, Crystal Williams, 24, suffered a sprained knee when she tripped coming down steps, said Youngstown Fire Capt. Rich Russo. There was heavy fire and water damage to Apartment 6 and water damage to the apartment below it. The roof was damaged when firemen ripped it to vent the smoke, and there was smoke damage throughout the structure. The occupants were not allowed to remain in their apartments, and after gathering a few items, were trying to find other places to stay. Russo said the low temperature, which, with the wind chill factor was 4 degrees below zero, caused two fire hydrants to freeze. He said extra pumper units were called to the scene to supply water until the hydrants began to work. Russo said late Wednesday that fire investigators had not yet determined the cause of the blaze, which was reported at 12:20 p.m.

DNA Testing For Youngstown Arson Suspect's Siblings
Story from WFMJ TV21 Web Site on 02/01/2008.

Police department sources confirm that the two younger brothers of 18-year-old Michael Davis were brought in for DNA testing.

Davis is in the Mahoning County Jail charged with 17-criminal charges, including 6 counts of aggravated murder.

Sources say the purpose of the DNA testing is to match who was wearing the clothes that have trace elements of an accelerant on them.

21 News has also learned that another 16-year-old friend of Davis has been interviewed several times about his alleged role in the fire.

Attorney Wants Deadly Arson Suspect Evaluated
Story from WFMJ TV21 Web Site on 02/01/2008.

New information about the suspect in custody for the arson fire that killed six members of the Crawford family.

The court appointed attorney representing 18-year-old Michael Davis tells 21 News he has serious concerns about his client's ability to understand.

Davis is charged with 17 counts of aggravated arson and aggravated murder. Attorney Marty Yavorcik met with Michael Davis for four hours and says Davis cannot read.

Yavorcik says he has doubts about Davis's mental capacity and will have him evaluated.

Suspect Plans To Plead Innocent After Indictment In Deadly Arson
Story from Peter H. Milliken in the Youngstown Vindicator on 02/01/2008.

The indictment contains three types of death specifications.

YOUNGSTOWN — The lawyer for the teenager charged with setting the fire that killed six people last week in an East Side house said his client, who faces the death penalty, will plead innocent today to all charges in the 29-count indictment against him.

A Mahoning County grand jury returned the indictment Thursday against Michael A. Davis, 18, of 817 Bennington Ave., in what authorities call the largest mass murder in the city’s history.

Davis is to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. today before Judge Timothy E. Franken of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Davis’ lawyer, Martin E. Yavorcik, said he believes Davis will be brought to court to be arraigned in person, not by video from Mahoning County Jail, where he is being held in solitary confinement without bond.

“I have concern that the fire occurred, and two hours later, they had the [alleged] culprit confessed and case closed — nothing else to talk about,” Yavorcik said. He added that he is unaware of any witnesses who say they saw Davis set the fire.

Yavorcik said he would aggressively defend Davis. “We’re going to plead not guilty, and we’re going to fight like hell,” he added.

“I think that this case is progressing very well,” said Paul J. Gains, county prosecutor, who declined to be specific about the investigation.

“These young people have got to be made to realize that there are consequences for these actions, and in this case, these are the most serious of consequences,” Gains said. “I’m hoping that some of these people think before they act.”

The aggravated murder counts name as victims Carol Crawford, 46; her daughter, Jennifer R. Crawford, 23; and Jennifer’s four children, Ranaisha, 8, Jeannine, 5, Aleisha, 3, and Brandon, 2, all having perished in upstairs bedrooms. An accelerant was ignited on the porch sometime after 5 a.m. Jan. 23 at 1645 Stewart Ave., fire investigators said.

Services for the victims will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in New Bethel Baptist Church, 1507 Hillman St., where friends may call one hour before services. Calling hours will also be from noon to 7 p.m. today at L.E. Black, Phillips and Holden Funeral Home, 1951 McGuffey Road.

Death specifications saying that there were two or more victims and that the murders were committed during the commission of another felony, namely aggravated arson, were added to the aggravated murder counts.

A death specification that the victims were under age 13 was added to each of the aggravated murder counts pertaining to the children.

Davis is 18 years and 1 month old. Eighteen is the youngest age at which the death penalty can apply in Ohio, Gains said.

If he isn’t sentenced to die, Davis faces a potential life prison term if he’s convicted of any of the aggravated murder counts. The options would be 25 years to life, 30 years to life or life without parole, said Gains, who plans to try the case himself.

The aggravated arson counts each carry a three- to 10-year prison term upon conviction.

The indictment included an aggravated arson count for each of the six deceased victims, one for each of the five people who escaped from the burning house, and one for each of eight firefighters injured at the scene.

One firefighter required five stitches, and the others suffered sprains and strains, Gains said.

A source has said a dispute over a stolen cellular phone was the motive for the arson. An AT&T cell phone was logged in as evidence at the police department Monday.

Gains said he will oppose setting any bond for Davis because of the seriousness of the charges and because he considers him a flight risk.

But Yavorcik denied that his client is a flight risk and said he’d seek a reasonable bond because his client is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Davis’ family “has very limited means,” so it’s not realistic for the family to meet a six-figure bond, Yavorcik said.

Yavorcik said he’ll seek a mental competency evaluation for Davis and that he’ll likely seek to move Davis’ trial to another county because of the pretrial publicity it h