Two people, including the mother of a 4-year-old girl who died from injuries sustained in a fire in 1999, were charged with murder Wednesday by Kentucky State Police.
Virginia Whitfield, 47, of Greenville, known at the time as Ginger Raymond, and Tony Lear, 53, of McHenry, are charged with murder, first-degree arson and two counts of first-degree assault, all felonies.
According to Messenger-Inquirer reports, Whitfield, her three children and a companion, Bobby Walton, were inside their McHenry mobile home about midnight on Sept. 2, 1999, when a fire began in the utility room, firefighters said. Whitfield and Walton escaped with Tyler Raymond, then 9, while Raquel, then 7, and Autumn, then 4, were rescued by firefighters.
Whitfield, Walton and the children were treated for injuries. All recovered except for Autumn, who died at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville about four weeks later.
According to a press release, KSP Detective Michael Smith presented the 13-year-old case to the Ohio County Grand Jury on Tuesday after new information was discovered. The grand jury handed down indictments for Whitfield and Lear, who were served Wednesday morning.
Whitfield was arrested without incident at her home in Greenville, according to police. She was transported to Ohio County Detention Center in Hartford.
Lear, who was already lodged at the Daviess County Detention Center on an unrelated parole violation, was served shortly after.
In the release, KSP said additional arrests are likely.
Copyright 2012 - Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
