Woman, 43, Charged in House Fires That Left Four Dead in Chicago
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CHICAGO — A woman was charged yesterday with arson and murder for allegedly setting a series of house fires near Wrigley Field, including one that killed four people.
Witnesses had reported seeing an unkempt woman wearing clear plastic bags as shoes near three small fires that broke out in the area late Friday and early Saturday, according to Edward O’Donnell, commander of the police department’s bomb and arson unit.
The fourth blaze, reported Saturday morning within walking distance of the others, killed four people in a three-story apartment house. It was started with paper debris on a stairwell landing between the second and third floors, fire officials said.
Mary Smith, 43, was questioned after the fires and charged yesterday with two counts of aggravated arson and four counts of first-degree murder, the Cook County state’s attorneys office said.
Police had brought the woman in for questioning late Saturday after finding her with “an odor of smoke,” police spokeswoman Monique Bond said.
Police Commander Thomas Byrne said Ms. Smith, arrested in a coffee shop, made self-incriminating statements, and witnesses identified her from “numerous” lineups. She appeared coherent and calm, he said. Police did not have a motive for the alleged arsons.
Prosecutors said yesterday that Ms. 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.
Three of the victims were men in their 20s, police said. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office had not identified them yesterday, and an official said the office was awaiting dental records.
The fourth victim was Jennifer Carlson, 24, said her aunt, Cheryl Greenlee. Family members originally feared Carlson’s 4-year-old son died in the fire, but the little boy had been with a baby sitter because his mother had worked late at a restaurant.
Witness statements and other evidence linked Ms. Smith to the smaller fires, police said. One of the arson counts is connected to one of the smaller fires.
