2 charged in homeless woman’s death in abandoned building fire
Two men are being charged with murder in the death of a homeless woman in an abandoned Roxbury building that they torched in an apparent bid to cover up past criminal misdeeds, prosecutors said.
Marcus “Nasty” Dozier yesterday pleaded not guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to charges of second-degree murder and arson.
Dozier was arrested Monday for allegedly setting fire to the George Street building where homeless people were known to live and use drugs on Nov. 5, according to Assistant District Attorney David McGowan. Kenneth Ford, 43, was arrested yesterday and is due in court today on the same charges.
The fire killed Michelle Trentor, 29, who was unable to escape as flames tore through the structure. Nearby Boston Water and Sewer workers saw a man stagger away while in flames, McGowan said.
Trentor’s mother wept as McGowan described her daughter’s death from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries.
“I loved her,” she said through tears as she left the courtroom.
Dozier and Ford told multiple witnesses there was “something in that house” that they “need to get rid of” and that people should leave the property early the next morning and “not ask questions,” prosecutors said.
Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, said the exact motive for setting the fire is unclear, but “it may have been related to rumors that the building would soon be torn down and that workers entering the house might find evidence of past criminal conduct.”
Clerk Magistrate Lisa Medeiros ordered Dozier held without bail. Dozier’s attorney, Michael Roitman, said he would argue bail at a later hearing and pointed out that his client had cooperated with police and testified before the grand jury. Dozier has an 18-page record that includes numerous drug charges, as well as charges for armed robbery, guns, and assault and battery, McGowan said.