Maryland State Police announced that additional arrests are anticipated in connection with a fatal house fire in Washington County, which investigators now classify as a triple homicide. What began as a routine response to a deadly residential blaze in Clear Spring earlier in November has evolved into a far more complex and disturbing criminal investigation.
According to state police, four individuals were taken into custody between November 21 and the Friday preceding the announcement. Those arrested include 47-year-old Darnell Hawkins of Baltimore, 43-year-old Tony Smith of Hagerstown, 46-year-old Maurice Mouzon of Baltimore, and 35-year-old Kierra White of Glen Burnie. Each suspect faces different charges tied to the events that unfolded on November 18, when a fire tore through a home on the 13000 block of National Pike.
Hawkins and Smith face the most serious accusations, including three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree arson, along with several related offenses. Mouzon was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery, narcotics distribution, and a handgun offense. White, the only woman named among the suspects, was charged with acting as an accessory after the fact in the murder case.
The fire claimed the lives of three residents: 31-year-old Brittany Ray, 36-year-old Harold Flichman, and 25-year-old Brianna Mae Weishaar. All three victims lived inside the home that burned in the early morning hours. Investigators quickly began to suspect foul play after a K-9 team detected accelerants at the scene and authorities discovered trauma to the victims that did not match injuries typically caused by fire. These findings prompted state police to shift the case from a fatal fire response to a full homicide investigation.
Autopsy results had not yet been completed, and officials continued to await formal findings from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. Meanwhile, the four suspects were ordered held without bond in separate detention facilities across Maryland, including jails in Baltimore County, Montgomery County, Washington County, and the Baltimore Central Booking Intake Facility.
More than 60 firefighters from 13 departments responded to the blaze, extinguishing it within roughly 30 minutes. Two dogs were rescued from the home and transported to the SPCA for care.
Maryland State Police said Saturday that the homicide investigation remains active, and additional arrests are expected. Multiple agencies — including the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the FBI, local police departments, and county prosecutors — continue to work together as the case unfolds.
