David Crawford, the former police chief of Laurel, Md., was sentenced to two life terms plus 75 years in prison Tuesday for setting fires to three homes in Howard County, Md., and trying to kill eight people. Crawford, 71, served as Laurel's chief from 2006 to 2010. Investigators said the targets were known to Crawford, the Washington Post reports. The investigation opened in 2021, when authorities accused him of setting about 11 houses, cars and garages across several Maryland counties over several years.
No one was physically injured in his fires, but residents had to flee their burning homes in terror and lost precious possessions. The convictions came from incidents in Howard County, and he faces trials in Montgomery County and Prince George's County. Crawford had previously worked for the Prince George's County Police Department and the District Heights Police Department.