Ex-MD Police Chief Accused Of Arson Kept 'Target List': Reports

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — A former Maryland police chief accused of purposely setting a string of fires spanning six counties reportedly had a list of intended targets and would plot revenge against anyone who challenged his authority, according to multiple reports.

The trial of former Laurel police chief David Michael Crawford kicked off in Howard County court this week. Crawford is accused of setting at least a dozen fires between 2011 and 2020. Several of the homes were occupied, including by children, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office.

Crawford is charged with multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder and arson, according to The Baltimore Banner.

During opening arguments Wednesday, prosecutors said nine of the 11 people on the list were associates or relatives of Crawford, and all were victims of intentionally set fires at their homes, the Banner reported. A person with a "3" next to their name was hit three times, while another with a "2" was the victim of two fires.

Prosecutors said the list contained the names of people Crawford believed slighted him or his wife, according to the Baltimore Sun.

"This list is the reason you're here today," Assistant State's Attorney Scott Hammond told jurors, according to the Sun. "This list is the reason you're going to find the defendant, David Crawford, guilty of setting four fires in Howard County."

Meanwhile, defense attorneys argued that prosecutors couldn't connect Crawford to the fires or prove he intended to kill anyone, the Banner reported.

"The state can't just say 'maybe' or 'could be' or 'might be,' but have to convince you beyond a reasonable doubt," defense attorney Robert C. Bonsib told jurors.

Authorities began investigating Crawford in 2019 after noticing a connection between several arsons. Crawford was charged in Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties, the Sun reported. He reportedly set fires in Anne Arundel and Charles counties but was never formally charged.

Targets included Crawford's chiropractor, his successor as Laurel police chief, Laurel's city administrator, and former colleagues in the Prince George's County Police Department, the Banner reported.

According to court documents, Crawford first set fire to his stepson's home in Clarksburg in 2016. The stepson wasn't home then, but the flames spread to an adjacent property while the neighbors were inside.

Prosecutors allege he set his stepson's unoccupied home ablaze again in 2019. A third fire was reportedly set in a garage behind the stepson's other house in 2020.

Last March, Crawford entered an Alford plea in Frederick County Circuit Court for one count of first-degree arson. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes that the prosecution has enough evidence to get a conviction.

In addition to his role as Laurel police chief, Crawford was a former major of the Prince George's County Police Department and a former chief of the District Heights Police Department.