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Edgewood resident Bobbie Sue Hodge, 63, is likely to spend the rest of her life in prison for her role in a massive townhouse fire in the early hours of May 9, 2019, Harford County State’s Attorney Albert Peisinger, Jr. announced on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
Specifically, Hodge was convicted of:
- Arson;
- Four counts of felony murder;
- Three counts of second-degree assault.
Shortly before 2:30 a.m. on the night of the fatal fire, a third-floor resident in the townhouse, Ernest Lee, reported a fire on Simons Court, prompting a massive response from the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department and other nearby agencies.
Upon arrival, Peisinger said that first responders found the third floor of the dwelling completely engulfed in flames.
Officials said that Lee, Dionne Hill, and Kimberly Shop, who were all on the third floor at the time of the massive blaze were killed by the fire. A fourth person was able to escape the fire by jumping out of his third-floor window, though he suffered a broken ankle and arm.
Mary Elizabeth Kennedy, who was living on the second floor, was rescued by firefighters but later died at an area hospital in January 2020 from injuries sustained in the fire.
Peisinger said that Hodge and two others living in the basement of the townhouse were able to safely escape.
The joint investigation by the Maryland State Fire Marshal, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosions, and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office led them to identify Hodges as a suspect, and she was later arrested.
Hodge’s trial began on Wednesday, Oct. 5, and the verdict was levied on Monday, Oct. 24.
"This tragedy shocked our Harford County community,” Peisinger said. “It is my hope that the verdict is a first step towards healing for the surviving victims and the families of those who lost loved ones.”
When she is sentenced, Hodge faces four life sentences, plus 60 years in prison.
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