Excerpts from wttw.com:
63-year-old Reginald Brown was held without bail during a court hearing Thursday, one day after he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson for allegedly starting the fire that killed Ieashia Ford, 34, and her daughter Porche Ford, 10, in their home in the 8600 block of South Hermitage Avenue.
“There are multiple witnesses to the defendant’s multiple threats to burn the house down, all because he thought (Ieashia Ford) took his wallet and his cellphone,” Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said during the hearing. “Because of that, two people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl who does not get to grow up.”
According to prosecutors, Brown and Ieashia Ford, who were in a relationship, were hanging out at Brown’s home on Feb. 27 when he grabbed Ford and accused her of taking his phone and wallet. She and another man left that scene, but Brown allegedly followed them to Ford’s home where he repeatedly threatened to burn the house down in front of a group of onlookers.
Brown called Ieashia Ford a short time later and again threatened to burn her house down, Murphy said during the hearing Thursday. That call was overheard not only by people at Ford’s home, but also Brown’s roommate, who told investigators that Brown had told him he’d filled a bleach bottle with gasoline, and shortly before he went to sleep that night, he overheard Brown muttering to himself “they should be by now.”
Early the next morning, a man prosecutors believe to be Brown was seen on surveillance footage walking near Ford’s home and carrying a bag. That person then took something out of the bag, walked toward Ford’s home, and soon after, the orange glow of the fire could be seen coming from the house. The fire was started around 4 a.m. and engulfed the home within minutes. One resident happened to be awake at the time and saw smoke coming from the porch area. He woke two other residents and got them outside before attempting to put out the flames. He re-entered the home and tried to locate Ford and her daughter, but was unable to do so. Both Ieashia Ford and Porche Ford died of smoke inhalation.
The resident who attempted to save the Fords suffered third-degree burns and is expected to recover.
One of the surviving victims and Brown’s roommate both positively identified the man in the surveillance footage as Brown, and investigators recovered a bleach bottle filled with gasoline in a nearby dumpster.
Brown is due back in court for a hearing March 31.
