Woman Admits She Knew Homeowner Was Inside When She Set Fatal Manchester Fire: Prosecutor

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Manchester Township woman has admitted not only to setting an April fire that killed a woman's pet dogs and led to the death of a neighboring man, but she says she knew the woman was in the home when she set the fire.

Dianna L. Wills, 66, pleaded guilty on Monday to second-degree aggravated arson and second-degree manslaughter before Superior Judge Rochelle Gizinski, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

At the plea hearing, Wills admitted to setting the April 7 fire at 3 Kingfisher Way in Manchester, and told Gizinski that she knew Ruth Dobbins, the homeowner, was home at the time of the fire, Della Fave said. The fire destroyed Dobbins' home and killed her five dogs, authorities said at the time.

In addition, the home next door at 160 Mockingbird Way sustained heat damage and the homeowner, Steve Kundin, suffered smoke inhalation and had to be taken to Community Medical Center, Toms River, for treatment, Della Fave said. Kundin died May 31 and the Ocean County medical examiner ruled the smoke inhalation had led to his death, he said.

Wills told Gizinski she knew Kundin had died and that his death was the result of the fire at Dobbins' home, which is why she pled guilty to the manslaughter charge, Della Fave said.

Each crime holds a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and fall under the No Early Release Act, meaning Wills will have to serve 85 percent of the sentence is imposed before she's eligible for parole.

Della Fave said the plea stems from an investigation by detectives from the Prosecutor’s Office Arson Task Force, the Manchester Township Police Department, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI and the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office into the April 7 structure fire. The fire was reported about 9:35 p.m. and the initial responding officers saw flames coming from the roof, authorities said at the time.

Dobbins had been able to escape the house and call for help but her dogs were trapped inside and died, officials said.

The fire ultimately consumed the majority of the structure, resulting in the Manchester Township building inspector deeming the dwelling uninhabitable.

The investigation found the fire had been deliberately set at the side of the stairs entering the house, with an "open flame was introduced to available combustibles," authorities said. Detectives learned Wills was at the front door of the house prior to Dobbins discovering the fire and that Wills was responsible for initiating the blaze, Della Fave said. Wills was arrested June 21, he said.

Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Bridget Coughlin represented the state for the case prosecution, Della Fave said.

Dianna Wills, photo courtesy Ocean County Prosecutor's Office