A D.C. man is facing charges after allegedly starting a town house fire that left three people dead, including a woman he’d previously been in a relationship with, police said Monday.
D.C. police arrested Robert Simpson, 56, of Southeast, and charged him with three counts of murder and arson in relation to Sunday morning’s fire, according to District officials.
“It is clearly a case of domestic violence, where three people lost their lives over a senseless interpersonal conflict,” said D.C. police Chief Pamela Smith.
The deadly fire broke out at a two-story town house at 3486 23rd Street Southeast around 5:30 a.m., according to D.C. Fire and EMS.
Simpson had previously been involved in a romantic relationship with a 34-year-old Jessica Cunningham, who was killed in the fire, according to Capt. Jeffrey Wade, who heads the police department’s homicide branch.
The victims of the fire had called police multiple times the night before the flames ignited, including a report that Simpson had started a fire at the residence hours before Sunday morning’s fatal fire.
Simpson is believed to be the only person involved in the homicides, Smith said.
A 64-year-old man and Cunningham were found dead. A third person, an 85-year-old woman, was alive when firefighters found her but later died at the hospital on Monday, police said.
Police identified the man and the other woman as Ronald McKinnon and Margaret McKinnon.
At one point in time, investigators believe the three victims and Simpson lived in the town house together.
Police said there was no familial relationship between Cunningham and either McKinnon.
The night before the homicides — repeat calls to authorities
Officers and fire officials had been at the town house before the fire.
Ronald McKinnon called police about a report of destruction of property at around 7 p.m. on Saturday night, according to court documents. He heard the sound of his windows breaking and when he came downstairs, he saw Simpson.
When police arrived, Simpson was across the street in Prince George’s County. Ronald McKinnon told police the two had an argument.
About two hours later, Ronald McKinnon reported flames at the back of the house.
Ronald McKinnon said when he found the fire out back, he saw Simpson. He told police the suspect said he would, “mess up this house.”
When D.C. Fire and EMS got there, fire fighters found a fire had been set in a trash can and on a rolled up shade on the window. The flames had been extinguished by the time officials arrived and fire investigators were notified, according to D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly.
“The investigation revealed that the fire appeared to be intentionally set, and it was discovered that Robert Simpson was the person who had lit this fire,” said Wade.
Just after 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, Cunningham called 911 and told police Simpson had assaulted her on Saturday morning. Police said officers remained in the area for more than an hour to look for Simpson.
While being interviewed, Cunningham told police that Simpson had attacked her in the past and wouldn’t stay away, according to court documents.
“When asked if she lost consciousness while being choked, Cunningham responded that he almost killed her,” court documents said. Court documents state she refused to go to the hospital, for fear Simpson was outside.
The fatal fire: ‘he came back … the house is on fire’
Then around two hours later, the reports of the town house fire came into officials around 5:30 a.m.
Footage from a neighbor’s home shows a suspect approach the town house before a “large flash of light” appears as the fire starts, according to charging documents.
“Based on the investigation at this point, we do believe an accelerant of some type to be involved — that is under investigation,” Wade said.
The arson investigation revealed that the fire was set in “such a way that it blocked exit points commonly used by the residents,” court documents said.
Several callers contacted 911 about the flames, one of which is believed to have been Cunningham. Over several minutes on the phone, she can be heard saying, ‘He came back,’ and ‘The house is one fire,’ according to charging documents.
Donnelly said firefighters responded within three minutes of the department being dispatched. When they arrived, the first floor was on fire with flames showing from two windows and the front door.
“They immediately went through the front door with their hose lines to put the fire out, while another crew accessed the second floor rear window, located a victim inside and brought them out over the ladder,” said Donnelly.
The fire is believed to have started on or near the living room sofa, according to court documents.
‘We had officers in the area’: Suspect in custody
Based on the previous events, police again placed a lookout on Simpson. Within an hour of the report of the fatal fire, he was arrested in relation to Saturday night’s fire and he’s now been charged with three counts of murder.
Wade said there had been past calls for service to the town house, as well as other locations.
When asked why police didn’t leave a unit at the town house after the repeated calls over the weekend, Wade said, “We had officers in the area. We just had to continue to answer radio calls.”
The police chief emphasized that officers had remained in the area after getting those calls.
“We just wouldn’t just sit officers at a particular location for an extended period of time,” Smith said.
Firefighters return to scene
According to charging documents, the suspect set the fire in a way that blocked common exits: the front and back doors. The heat from the fire would have prevented the victims from escaping.
Fire officials originally said the woman who was rescued had a chance of surviving because her door was shut. But Margaret McKinnon died on Monday morning.
Firefighters returned to the scene of the fire Monday to talk with neighbors about fire safety and check smoke alarms.
“I think it’s been since the about 2010 that we had a triple fatal fire in the city,” Donnelly said. “These are rare occurrences, and it’s something we’re going to continue to work on in making people’s homes safe.”
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