Mar 13, 2007 12:13 am US/Central
Woman Charged With Murder In Deadly Weekend Fire
Witnesses Tied Suspect To Four Separate Fires In Wrigleyville
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
A woman suspected of starting a series of fires near Wrigley Field, including one that killed four people, was charged Monday with murder, authorities said.
Mary Smith, 43, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated arson, the Cook County state's attorney office said.
Police identified Smith after witnesses reported seeing an unkempt woman, wearing clear plastic bags on her feet, near the scene of three small fires, said Edward O'Donnell, commander of the police department's bomb and arson unit.
The fourth fire, reported shortly after 7 a.m. Saturday within walking distance of the others, quickly spread through a three-story apartment building, killing four people inside a top-floor apartment, fire officials said.
Smith made a number of self-incriminating statements during questioning and witnesses identified her from "numerous" lineups, police said. She appeared coherent and calm, they said.
"There's some stuff that she knew too well, so she gave statements that would put her on the scene," Area 3 Police Comdr. Thomas Byrne said.
Jennifer Carlson, 24, and Jason Bowers, 23, who were among those renting the third-floor apartment, died in the fire, according to friends and family. Family members originally feared Carlson's 4-year-old son also perished in the fire, but discovered he was staying with a baby sitter because his mother had worked a late shift in a restaurant.
The two other victims were not identified. A fifth victim survived and was listed in critical condition after jumping or falling from a window, O'Donnell said.
Police said Smith used a chemical to ignite the fire in a stairwell between the second and third floors, and that the flames spread through the apartment's front door.
"The surviving victim opened the door met the smoke and the flames and kept the door open so the fire entered the third floor apartment," O'Donnell said.
It was unclear how Smith gained access to the building, officials said.
Witness statements and other evidence allegedly linked Smith to the smaller fires, police said. Police questioned Smith after finding her in a coffee shop late Saturday. She was wearing plastic bags on her feet and smelled of smoke, officials said.
One of the arson counts is connected to one of the smaller fires, authorities said.
O'Donnell said one small fire was started with papers in a building stairwell, a sweater was set on fire on a sidewalk and a third was set with papers on a front porch. A homeowner extinguished one of the fires, and the other two were extinguished by the time firefighters arrived, he said.
Byrne said police did not know a motive for the alleged arsons.
Prosecutors said Monday that Smith's last-known address was a Salvation Army homeless shelter. A shelter employee said the facility does not house women, but some people use the address to receive mail. Records indicate she has had a few minor scrapes with the law – mostly trespassing.
Victims were working toward degreesOn Saturday, family and friends of Carlson and Bowers -- who were roommates -- gathered to grieve in front of the boarded up apartment building where they died.
There were prayers for the dead and for the living, including Smith.
Friends said Carlson and Bowers were good people. Both had jobs at nearby restaurants and were working toward college degrees.
"Most people say that people are good guys when they die, and sometimes they really aren't," said Justin Sewell, a friend of the victims. "He was truly a good person, never really did anything wrong."
"She was working two jobs, going to college, trying to get herself together," friend Sachin Patel added.
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