SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - A Maryland man charged with setting five fires in Massachusetts has pleaded not guilty after being ruled competent following a stay at a state psychiatric hospital.
The Republican of Springfield (https://bit.ly/2qvRePG ) reports that 30-year-old Mardell Davis is facing five arson charges and a warrant for his arrest in Maryland on attempted murder, rape and other charges.
No one was injured in the fires set within a 12-hour period on March 12. Davis had a court hearing scheduled for March 20, but instead he was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for a 20-day evaluation. During a court hearing, Davis’s lawyer said his client was “very anxious and fearful” and he was hearing voices.
Davis will return to court for a pretrial hearing on June 7. His bail was set at $250,000.
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Information from: The Springfield (Mass.) Republican, https://www.masslive.com/news/
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