|
Read News
|
Pocono News Section
Wayne County Woman to Face Trial for Arson & Murder
Wayne County Woman to Face Trial for Arson & Murder - Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 04:08AM EST
Reported by: Eric Deabill
Wednesday June 02 2010
Wayne County Woman to Face Trial for Arson & Murder 0/ 5 rating
HONESDALE, WAYNE COUNTY - A Wayne County woman, who's accused of setting a deadly fire, will go to trial.
Susan Bates, 45, was in court Wednesday for her preliminary hearing. The family of her victim was there as well.
Bates is accused of setting three different fires inside her Texas Township home on May 1st. The third and biggest fire, ended up killing her live-in boyfriend Timothy Wood. Wood could not make it out of the burning building.
"I knew Sue. I went to school with her and I didn't see them doing something like this at all," Glynn Wood said.
Glynn Wood is the brother of thevictim. He wants justice.
"It won't get any easier until the courts all done and she gets what she's got coming to her," Wood said.
According to testimony, Bates allegedly set the fires because she was jealous that Wood called his ex-wife on the telephone.
Tami Kovaleski is Wood's ex-wife. She says the weekly calls wereabout their kids.
"For some reason after seven years, she justsnapped and it's a hard thing to understand because it was an every weekend phone call," Kovaleski said.
In court, an attorney for Bates tried to show Tim Wood may have been drinking the day of the fire. She also pointed out there isno exact evidence about who started the third and biggest fire.
"It certainly wasn't a 12-pack of Natural Ice beer that started this fire," District Attorney Michael Lehutsky said. "Her own admission is that she started the fire."
Bates is facing both criminalhomicide and arson charges. Because of that, she is eligible for the death penalty. The DA has not yet decided whether or not he will pursue that option.
| | |
|
|
|