Stanley Ford convicted of killing 9 people in multiple Akron arson fires

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A Summit County jury convicted Stanley Ford on multiple counts of murder Tuesday night.

He was facing 28 different counts, including nearly two dozen for murder.

Deliberations began Monday afternoon.

The trial now moves to the penalty phase which begins Monday, September 27th at 10 a.m.

Ford could be sentenced to death.

Over the course of witness testimony, jurors heard from Akron police and fire investigators, Ford’s neighbors, and the victims’ relatives.

The 62-year-old suspect faced dozens of criminal charges for allegedly setting three fires intentionally, beginning in April 2016 that killed a total of nine people.

• The first fire was on April 18, 2016, at 719 Fultz Avenue. Lindell Lewis and Gloria Jean Hart were killed.
• The second fire was on Jan. 23, 2017, at 723 Russell Avenue. A Dodge Durango was set on fire; nobody was hurt.
• The third fire was on May 15, 2017, at 693 Fultz Avenue. Seven people were killed, including two adults and five kids.

The victims were identified as:

1. Jared Boggs, 14
2. Daisia Huggins, 6
3. Kyle Huggins, 5
4. Alivia Huggins, 3
5. Cameron Huggins, 16 months old
6. Dennis Huggins, 35
7. Angela Boggs, 38
8. Lindell Lewis, 56
9. Gloria Jean Hart, 61

A mistrial was initially declared for Ford in June 2020 during the first court proceedings.

Shortly after meeting with jurors then, Judge Christine Croce called the mistrial because of the challenges of moving forward with a fair trial while still practicing safe COVID-19 protocols.

19 News spoke to Ford in 2017 when he was living in a home next to one he allegedly set on fire.

[Stanley Ford: Man charged in deadly Akron fire, denied involvement to 19 News]

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