Teens accused in deadly Denver house fire spurred by retaliation, but set fire to wrong home, sources say
The three teenage suspects accused of killing the Diol family in a deadly Denver house fire in August allegedly set fire to the wrong house, according to high ranking law enforcement sources.
Posted at 9:58 PM, Feb 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-03 10:08:33-05
DENVER â The three teenage suspects accused of killing the Diol family in a Denver house fire in August allegedly set fire to the house in retaliation for a drug deal gone awry, but it was the wrong home, according to high-ranking law enforcement sources.
By Syndicated Content
By Keith Coffman
DENVER (Reuters) – Two of three teenage boys will be tried as adults for charges of murder and arson in a Denver house fire that killed five Senegalese immigrants, including two young children, prosecutors said on Tuesday.
Kevin Bui and Gavin Seymour, both 16, are charged with five dozen counts of murder, arson, conspiracy, attempted murder and related offenses stemming from the deadly blaze on Aug. 5, 2020, Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said in a written statement.
The third suspect, a 15-year-old boy whose name has been kept under seal because he is a minor, is charged in juvenile court with similar charges. Prosecutors will seek to move his case to adult court, McCann said.
Two of the three teenagers arrested in connection with a house fire in Denver that killed five recent immigrants from Senegal, including two children, have been charged as adults, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute (less than 50 kilograms)
Possession of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl with intent to distribute (40 grams or more)
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
According to a federal indictment, Bui knowingly possessed marijuana and a mixture containing a detectable amount fentanyl, along with a firearm used during the commission of the alleged drug trafficking crimes.
If convicted of the drug charges, the court document says Bui will forfeit her rights to money, property and anything else gained through the alleged crimes.
If convicted of the gun charge, she will forfeit her rights to the firearm and ammunition used in the commission of any alleged offenses, the court document says.
The Denver District Attorney s Office has announced that Kevin Bui and Gavin Seymour, a pair of sixteen-year-olds arrested last week in the arson deaths of five people in August 2020, will be charged as adults, but a third, fifteen-year-old suspect is set for prosecution in the juvenile system.
These decisions demonstrate how DAs try to balance public demands for justice in heinous cases involving underage individuals against the recognition that those accused of committing the crimes are technically still children. Similar dynamics came into play in the cases of at least fifteen other teens charged as adults for murders that took place in Colorado dating back to the early 1990s.