Defense claims someone else set fire to the Crawford home at Davis trial

YOUNGSTOWN — This afternoon’s testimony in the arson-murder trial of Michael Davis centered on the defense’s position that someone else did the crime.

Davis is accused of setting a fire early Jan. 23 that killed six members of the Crawford family on Stewart Avenue on the city’s East Side.

Defense lawyer James S. Gentile established through questioning of Detective Sgt. Patrick Kelly that another person’s footprints had been found behind the Crawford house after the fire.

Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains then asked Kelly if there was any way of telling when the footprints had been made. Kelly said no.

Carol Crawford, 46; her daughter, Jennifer R. Crawford, 23; and Jennifer’s four children, Ranaisha, 8; Jeannine, 5; Aleisha, 3; and Brandon, 2, perished in the blaze.

For the complete story, see Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.