Ex-boyfriend arrested, charged with murder in deaths of 3 in DC row house fire: police

WASHINGTON - Authorities say they have arrested and charged a man with murder after a row home fire he deliberately set killed three people in southeast D.C.

The fire was reported early Sunday morning in the 3400 block of 23rd Street.

34-year-old Jessica Cunningham and 64-year-old Ronald McKinnon both died at the scene. The third victim, 85-year-old Margaret McKinnon, had originally been rescued from the home by firefighters and was transported with critical injuries. She died Monday at the hospital.

READ MORE: 2 dead, 1 critically injured following house fire in Southeast DC

At a press conference Monday, police said they identified the suspect as 56-year-old Robert Simpson of D.C. They say he was Cunningham's ex-boyfriend and is believed to have once lived in the home that he set fire to.

Surveillance footage captured Simpson approaching a window of the home at around 5:30 a.m. and causing a flash, after which the fire began, police said.

"Based on the investigation at this point, we do believe an accelerant at some point to be involved. That is under investigation, and there will be some additional testing to determine that information," said Capt. Jeffrey Wade of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department's homicide unit.

Officials say several calls were made to the residence prior to firefighters responding to the blaze. 

Police had responded to the home three separate times within 12 hours before the deadly fire. The first call was for a broken window, followed by a second call for a small fire where Simpson was developed as a suspect. 

Officers searched for Simpson but were unable to locate him. 

A third call came in at 3:30 a.m., when Cunningham reported abuse by Simpson. Just two hours later, the fatal fire broke out.

A former neighbor expressed grief over the loss of Margaret McKinnon, describing her as a central figure in the community.

"She was definitely a staple for the neighborhood. Especially when we connect the grandchildren with the community, and you have someone in the neighborhood that's educating them. I mean, she was just that great person," the neighbor, who lived nearby, said.

Simpson is facing three counts of felony murder and arson. He has since made his initial appearance in D.C. court and is being held without bond. 

D.C. firefighters returned to the neighborhood Monday to distribute safety pamphlets and to check smoke alarms in the neighborhood where the fire happened.

"Have a home escape plan," Vito Maggiolo with D.C. Fire and EMS told FOX 5 Sunday. "Fires like these travel very quickly and that’s why the need for smoke alarms, working smoke alarms is critical, as well as knowledge of how you’re going to get out of your home if a fire takes place."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.