CANTON ‒ Bond has been set at $3 million for the man charged with aggravated murder and aggravated arson in connection with the deaths of two women inside a fiery apartment.
Judge Katie Erchick Gilbert set the bond for Darrell Washington at his arraignment on Aug. 14 in Canton Municipal Court.
Washington is accused of fatally shooting Katina C. Spells, 42, of Canton, and Kourtni D. Yeager, 31, of Massillon, at an apartment in the 700 block of Alan Page Drive SE in the Skyline Terrace complex.
The building is listed in court records as Washington’s home address, although he has a different apartment number than the unit where the incident occurred.
The women were found in a burning apartment on the morning of Aug. 9. Firefighters called police.
The aggravated arson charge alleges Washington started a fire in the apartment in complicity with two other individuals to conceal evidence of the homicides.
The last suspect in the case, Melissa F. Terrell, 41, of Canton, remains at large. She and Eric R. Lamar, 43, of Canton, are charged with aggravated arson, obstructing justice and tampering with evidence. Lamar surrendered to police Aug. 11.
The arson charge against Lamar says that he is shown on video causing an explosion and residential fire at the apartment where the murder occurred, causing extensive structural damage to the building from the explosion and flames. The other charges in the criminal complaint filed in municipal court say he set the fire to conceal the murders.
Erchick Gilbert set bond for Lamar at $2 million on Aug, 13.
Status conferences are scheduled for Washington and Lamar on Aug. 18 in municipal court.
GoFundMe accounts have been established on behalf of the victims’ families. One appeal states that it will help Spells’ children pay for her funeral . Yeager’s family has launched a GoFundMe to help support her six children. The GoFundMe will help pay for funeral arrangements and legal fees.
Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Bond set at $3M for suspect in murders of Canton women
Reporting by Nancy Molnar, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nancy Molnar, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
