Arson

Wrongful Incarceration Finally Ends: Brockton Settles for $3.75 Million in Arson Case

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Brockton, Massachusetts – The city of Brockton has agreed to pay $3.75 million to Frances Choy, a woman who spent 17 years in prison for a deadly arson she did not commit. Choy was wrongfully convicted as a teenager, while investigators overlooked her troubled cousin, Kenneth Choy, as the actual perpetrator of the April 2003 fire that claimed the lives of Frances Choy’s parents, Jimmy and Anne Choy. The settlement was confirmed by City Solicitor Megan Bridges during a city council committee meeting. Frances Choy’s attorney, John J. Barter, declined to comment on the case. … Read more

Former Firefighter Convicted of Arson in Dramatic Four-Day Trial

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POLSON, Montana – A former firefighter was found guilty of arson last Thursday after a four-day trial at the Lake County Courthouse. The verdict came after the jury reached a unanimous decision on two of the four charges against Craig McClure. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the other two counts. During the trial, Judge Robert Deschamps advised the jurors to collaborate and reiterated that they should not avoid their duty. After about five hours of deliberations, the jury unanimously determined that McClure was guilty of starting the Finley fire on … Read more

Former Coos County Man Convicted of Arson and Multiple Charges by Jury

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LANCASTER, New Hampshire – After a thorough investigation, a Coos County jury has reached a verdict in the arson case involving Jeremy McMaster. McMaster was found guilty on charges of arson, as well as three additional charges. The trial, which unfolded at the Coos County Superior Court, concluded on Friday with the jury delivering their decision. The charges against McMaster stem from a fire that occurred last year. Prosecutors presented evidence to the court, alleging that McMaster deliberately set fire to a building, leading to its destruction. Alongside the arson charge, he faced three other … Read more

Montana Arson Trial Unveils Twisted Fentanyl Addiction Connection: Defendant Accused of Setting Fires for ‘One More Fix’

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POLSON, Montana – A trial began on Monday for accused arsonist Craig McCrea, who has been held on a $1 million bond since May 2022 in connection with four fires that occurred in July 2021. The largest of these fires, known as Boulder 2700, burned thousands of acres and forced evacuations in Finley Point. Prosecutors allege that McCrea started the fires to benefit his father, a firefighter for the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes. During the opening statements, Assistant Attorney General Thorin Geist told jurors that McCrea associated the smell of smoke with the opportunity to … Read more