DAVIS TRIAL UPDATE | Prosecution rests its case

YOUNGSTOWN — Prosecutors rested their case this morning against Michael A. Davis, the 18-year-old Bennington Avenue man accused of killing six members of the Crawford faming on Jan. 23 by setting fire to their house.

An Ohio State Fire Marshal’s office lab supervisor testified today that articles of clothing, including shoes and pants, collected after a fatal fire contained traces of an accelerant.

Krista Rajenbran said in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court that the medium petroleum distillate found on the items tested can be present in charcoal starters, paint thinners, lamp oil and so forth.

Rajenbran was the third witness called this morning in the aggravated murder and arson trial. The clothing was collected at Davis’ Bennington Avenue home the morning of the fire. Also tested was a section of the porch where investigators said the fire started.

He is accused of setting a fire at 1645 Stewart Ave. at 5:25 a.m. Jan. 23 on the front porch. Two women and four children, all members of the Crawford family, died.

Under questioning by Ron Yarwood, one of Davis’ defense lawyers, Rajenbran acknowledged that she received no container of an ignitable liquid for testing.

Read more in Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com