Jurors in Davis trial have reached a verdict

YOUNGSTOWN — Jurors in the aggravated murder and arson case against Michael A. Davis have reached a verdict, but they have not yet returned to the courtroom to present it to the judge.

The jury, eight women and four men, began deliberating at 1:40 p.m. Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. The panel came prepared to spend the night in a hotel and be sequestered until a verdict was reached, which they announced about 8:20 p.m. today.

Trial testimony spanned less than two days overall in Judge R. Scott Krichbaum’s court. He didn’t allow jurors to take notes.

Davis, 18, of Bennington Avenue faces a total of 25 counts in the death of two women and four children, the city’s largest mass murder. Four duplicate counts related to the children in the original 29-count indictment were dropped. The case carries death penalty specifications.

Davis is accused of setting fire to 1645 Stewart Ave. around 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 23. The arson killed six members of the Crawford family — Carole Crawford, 46; her daughter, Jennifer R. Crawford, 23; and Jennifer’s four children, Ranaisha, 8; Jeannine, 5; Aleisha, 3; and Brandon, 2. All died from smoke inhalation. Five others escaped the fire.