Jury deliberates for hours in David Crawford's arson trial
A Howard County jury deliberated for hours Wednesday before leaving for the day in the arson trial against David Crawford. The retired 71-year-old Laurel police chief has been held without bail since his arrest in March 2021 in connection with 12 separate arson cases spanning six counties and two decades. Four of the 12 fires were allegedly set in Howard County, which tried the case first. Jury deliberations began around noon Wednesday after a morning full of closing arguments. The jury is being asked to consider 12 felony charges against the defendant Crawford, including eight counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of arson and one count of malicious burning.
