âI need helpâ Jurors hear 911 call from Wilmington woman killed in fire on first day of murder trial
Man accused of setting fire that killed two people is on trial By Kendall McGee | March 16, 2021 at 7:12 PM EDT - Updated March 16 at 7:59 PM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Opening arguments began Tuesday in the trial for a man accused of setting a fire that killed a young girl and her great aunt just before Christmas in 2014.
Harry Davis is facing one count of first-degree arson, two counts of first-degree murder, and three counts of attempted first-degree murder. He is accused of dousing the house on Lingo Street in gasoline and lighting it on fire in the early morning hours, while five people slept inside.
Jordan said on the night of Dec. 23, 2014, Davis was in a dispute with one of the Pickett family members who he was dating. After several failed attempts to talk to her, Davis allegedly doused the family s home at 1901 Lingo St. in gasoline and set it on fire.
There were five people at home when the fire was set, Jordan said.
Makayla Pickett, 14, who was blind and autistic, died when she was unable to escape the home. Her great aunt, Pamela Pickett, 51, made it out of the home, collapsed in the yard, and later died.
Three other family members, Beverly Pickett, Jasmine Sumpter and Deseree Pickett, were able to escape safely.
Harry Davis, 30, is a Wilmington man accused of intentionally setting a house on fire that killed two people, including a young girl, six years ago. Davis is not being tried capitally, said Samantha Dooies, the New Hanover district attorney s assistant. The maximum punishment he faces if convicted of these charges is two counts of life without the possibility of parole.
Dooies said capital cases are very rare, and the last time the county had one was in 2019 when jury selection took two months.
According to Dooies, jury selection could continue all day Thursday.
Davis is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson.