COLUMBIA, Md. — Prosecutors told a Howard County, Maryland jury Wednesday that a former Laurel police chief kept a coded "hit list" in his phone as he sought revenge over a period of years against almost anyone who crossed him.
The trial against 71-year-old David Crawford marks the first time the former chief has faced a jury since he was accused of carrying out an arson spree that included a dozen fires set in six Maryland counties between 2011 and 2020.
Crawford was characterized by prosecutors as a man who was used to being in charge and who sought revenge against a long list of victims. His alleged arson targets included his chiropractor, a woman he argued with on a school redistricting committee, family members and Richard McLaughlin, who succeeded Crawford as chief in Laurel.
"We worked together, I respected him and looked up to him," McLaughlin said after Crawford's arrest in 2022. "I wracked my brain as to why. There was no conflict. I mean, that's a long time to hold a grudge."
The Howard County case that began Wednesday includes eight charges of attempted murder because victims, including children, were inside the homes Crawford is accused of burning.
But the case against him is not a slam dunk.
Although an attacker is caught on video, the individual's face can't be seen. No witnesses, fingerprints or DNA put Crawford at any of the crime scenes.
Instead, prosecutors told jurors that they will show during the trial how Crawford acted in a predictable pattern that they can prove in court. Evidence will include data from the health app on Crawford's phone that showed him active each and every time a fire broke out, the lawyers said.
Additional evidence presented Wednesday included gloves and a hat seized from Crawford's garage that had gasoline residue, according to testimony from an FBI analyst.
Crawford avoided a trial in Frederick County in 2022 by taking an Alford plea, which is not an admission of guilt, but an acknowledgement that prosecutors had enough evidence to obtain a conviction.
Crawford is currently being held without bail. He entered court Wednesday in a wheelchair.
Because there are so many crime scenes and victims, Howard County prosecutors expect this trial to take at least two weeks.