"Ex-Maryland Police Chief David Crawford Receives Multiple Life Sentences for Revenge Arson"
Former Laurel police chief, David Crawford, has been sentenced to eight life sentences plus 75 years for setting a series of "revenge fires" in Maryland over a decade. Crawford, who maintains his innocence, plans to appeal the court's ruling. He was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder, arson, and malicious burning. The fires targeted individuals whom Crawford felt had wronged him, and he used gasoline to burn their cars, garages, and homes. Detectives used cellphone data, relationships, and computer searches to identify Crawford as the suspect. The victims included former city officials, law enforcement officials, relatives, physicians, and a resident in his neighborhood.