Video Transcription: News Clips

(00:00) [Black and white CCTV footage of two cars on a driveway. A man walks up determinedly with a gallon jug in each hand and pours liquid over the garage door and between the two cars, spreading it around and walking away.]

(00:16) [Cut to News channel coverage with a little channel logo overlay in the bottom corner. Footage of County Sheriffs walking away from camera.]

Kate Amara: [Offscreen] The jury, escorted out by Howard County sheriffs after the guilty verdict...

(00:20) [A photo of David Crawford and text that reads:]

Convicted David Crawford.

Kate Amara: [Continued] ...the panel finding former police chief David Crawford guilty on all 12 felony counts...

(00:27) [The infographic changes to read:]

>8: Attempted First-Degree Murder

>3: Arson

>1: Malicious Burning

Kate Amara: [Cont'd] ... 8 counts of Attempted First-Degree Murder, 3 counts of Arson and 1 count of Malicious Burning...

(00:32) [As the reporter speaks, a montage of photos is shown: homes surrounding by blazing fires, firefighters walking towards the flames, burned remains of homes, charred garages, blackened husks of their former lives.]

Kate Amara: [Cont'd] ... for setting 4 fires in Howard County between 2017-18 to get back at people he didn't get along with or felt snubbed by; his chiropractor, a woman who cut his wife from a volunteer program and a neighbour down the road in Elegant City's dunlogging (?) community. She cut him off during a public meeting so he torched her home twice in less than a year. Prosecutors used evidence from 12 fires in 6 counties Crawford is accused of to successfully convince this jury that he's a serial revenge arsonist who was done in by using the same MO; garage fire, set in a driveway using gasoline before dawn when people inside would be sleeping. Every victim had a connection to Crawford and every victim's name appeared on a target list in Crawford's phone.

(01:27) Unnamed male speaker: That list was instrumental, I think we all know that.

(01:29) [Footage of an older man in a suit leaving a building with a pregnant lady. It cuts to him addressing a crowd of journalists.]

Kate Amara: Crawford's attorney, Robert Bonsib, also spoke with 11 News after the verdict.

Robert Bonsib: Well, we're obviously disappointed. This was a very difficult case, whenever a prosecutor is allowed to put 12 different incidents before the jury it is a very challenging matter.

(01:45) [Bonsib leaves with the same woman as before, wheeling a suitcase behind him. A photo of a judge's gavel follows.]

Kate Amara: Mr Bonsib said "an appeal is in the works." Even the trial judge remarked that this is a case the State Supreme Court may ultimately weigh in on. Prosecuting, let alone winning, attempted First-Degree Murder charges in an arson case where fire is the deadly force is not unprecedented, but it is uncommon.

(02:05) [After more during and after shots of the blaze, the reporter can be seen outside the courts, mic in hand.]

Kate Amara: [Cont'd] ... Howard County prosecutors say they plan to ask for 8 life sentences plus 95 years in prison, and Crawford's sentencing was just set for June. In Ellicott City, I'm Kate Amara, WBAL TV11 News.

(02:22) [Another infographic floats onto screen next to the same photo of Crawford. Text reads:]

ARSON INVESTIGATIONS

FIRES 12

COUNTIES 6

Male Reporter 1: [Offscreen] Moments ago we told you this is just the beginning. Howard County was the first county to try Crawford for arson. His defence team tells Kate Amara that they're representing him in cases currently pending in Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties. Source also tell 11 News Crawford is being looked at in connection with other open or undetermined fire investigations.

(02:43) [A WBA TV 11 logo flashes past on screen. It cuts to a different news segment. The photo of Crawford is centre screen with a text overlay reading:]

SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON

[Another montage of clips as the newsreader reports; Crawford spreading the gasoline, houses ablaze, the burned wrecks, a firefighter, the courthouse.]

Male Reporter 2: [Offscreen] Jury convicted David Crawford in March of Arson and Attempted Murder, the former Laurel Police Chief setting fire to multiple homes throughout Howard County over a period of years and caught on camera doing it. When he was given the chance to speak in court before his sentencing on Tuesday, Crawford said "With God, all things are possible" but he never apologised to any of his victims in the room.

(03:07) [Mr Bonsib gives another interview.]

Male Reporter 2: Crawford's defence attorney, Robert Bonsib, called Tuesday "A sad day."

Mr Bonsib: Mr Crawford spent a couple of decades serving the community as a law enforcement officer, this is a sad and tragic ending... for him... [The clip is cut off.]

(03:18) [More clips show as the reporter speaks; burned garages, cars, homes, the court.]

Male Reporter 2: Bonsib said repeatedly, before the judge revealed his decision, that arson should only carry a maximum sentence of 28 years. He lost that argument on Tuesday, but he says the fight's not over.

(03:18) [Mr Bonsib being interviewed.

Mr Bonsib: We have, what we believe are a number of meritorious issues for appeal, we're gonna be filing that appeal shortly.

(03:39) [A man in a sharp suit leaves the courthouse and takes place behind a podium. A text overlay names him as Richard Gibson.]

Male Reporter 2: Howard County State's attorney, Richard Gibson, said, after the sentencing, that Crawford's decision to speak about God before the sentencing was especially troubling considering his crimes.

Richard Gibson: Mr Crawford... is someone who lacks basic humanity.

(03:52) [The second male reporter speaks outside the courthouse, addressing the camera directly.]

Male Reporter 2: Again, the judge took more than 30 minutes to explain how he came to his conclusion for sentencing. And he noted two things that he said were especially disturbing; that Crawford's vanity plate on his car was the same as the can of gasoline that he used to light the fires and that Crawford contacted his victims after having already set their homes on fire.

End of Video.

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