The 58-year-old neighbor of a family killed in a fire in Akron last week has been charged with aggravated murder and arson.
Stanley O. Ford is accused of setting the fire on Fultz Avenue that killed seven people: Angela Boggs and her longtime boyfriend Dennis Huggins, as well as children Jered Boggs, 14; Daisia Huggins, 6; Kylle Huggins, 5; Alvia Huggins, 3; and Cameron Huggins, 1.
Akron Deputy Police Chief Kenneth Ball says investigators also have refocused their investigation into an unsolved fatal arson fire a year ago on the same street.
“We will certainly be diligent in our efforts to re-examine that particular case and we will not limit our investigation to just Mr. Ford at this point in time, but obviously we will exhaust all measures to make sure we can find out what happened.”
That fire killed an elderly couple: Lindell Lewis and Gloria Jean Hart. It, too, was ruled an arson.
Ford is expected to be arraigned tomorrow in the death of the Boggs and Huggins family on seven counts of aggravated murder and one of aggravated arson.
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan called the crime heinous and offered condolences to the family. He also said community efforts like a vigil held Saturday night are reassuring.
“The unity and strength and faith that I saw reflected in that service has given me incredible hope that our city will recover and uplift those that are deeply hurting. Today we have taken our first steps in the long road for justice for these families.”
Patrick Boggs, the ex-husband of Angela Boggs, was questioned early in the investigation. But Deputy Chief Ball said he was never a suspect.
“Mr. Boggs is not a suspect, is not connected to this. He was interviewed in the early stages of our investigation because of a relationship -- which is very typical in serious investigations like this -- but he was was never considered to be a suspect and has not been charged, will not be charged.”
