Middletown Woman Sentenced in Arson, Insurance Fraud Case

A Middletown Township woman was sentenced earlier this week after having been found guilty of arson and insurance fraud.

Katharine Eva Davis, 36, of Glen Riddle Road was sentenced to an aggregate sentence of 14 to 28 months in a State Correctional Institute followed by four years of probation, according to Assistant District Attorney Michael Mattson.

Davis was

On Feb. 3, 2010, Davis reported to that her 2005 Honda Accord had been vandalized, according to the District Attorney’s Public Information Officer Erica Parham.

Then on Feb. 4, 2010, neighbors saw Davis arrive home in her Accord and watched her open the trunk and then walk to the driver’s side of the vehicle and appeared to be working on something, according to Parham. Davis then walked to her apartment.

A short time later the vehicle was engulfed in flames, according to Parham. No one other than Davis had been near the vehicle.

Lenni Heights Fire Company was dispatched to Glen Riddle Station Apartments and found a vehicle engulfed in fire. Fire personnel believed the fire to be suspicious and found the charred remains of what appeared to be paper towels in the gas tank filler neck, according to Parham.

The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal determined the cause of the fire to be arson.

On Feb. 4, 2010, Davis contacted her auto insurance company, Allstate Insurance Company, to report her vehicle had been burned.

Charges were filed against Davis in June 2010. 

Davis elected for a trial by jury and the trial was held in August before Judge Michael F.X. Coll. The trial lasted three days, after which the jury returned a guilty verdict on all counts, according to Mattson.

The case was investigated by Trooper John E. Stewart of the Pennsylvania State Police and Detective Edward Kazlo of the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant District Attorney Michael Dugan, chief of the Economic Crime Unit, prosecuted the case.