Northern Virginia man convicted of arson, murder for deadly townhouse fire
Northern Virginia man convicted of arson, murder in deadly townhouse fire
A Northern Virginia man was convicted of arson and murder in connection with a deadly townhouse fire that killed his neighbor.
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. - A Northern Virginia man was found guilty after he intentionally started a deadly townhouse fire that killed his neighbor.
What we know:
Jacob Bogatin, 78, was convicted of murder and arson in connection with the Oct. 24, 2025, fire.
Fire crews responded to Riptide Square where they found two homes on fire and a resident trapped. The fire spread from home to home, killing his neighbor, 26-year-old Madelaine Samantha Akers.
The fire also destroyed two homes, damaged a third and left eight people displaced.
Court documents revealed that Bogatin filed a $1 million insurance claim the day after the fire, which more than doubled the amount owed on his unit. Prosecutors believe he was seeking reimbursement for items that had already been moved into a storage unit.
READ MORE | Sterling fire suspect filed insurance claim day after fatal blaze, court documents say
Investigators determined that the fire was set behind the townhomes. Bogatin was captured on surveillance near the back of the home.
During Bogatin's trial, jurors heard a frantic 911 call in which Akers was heard screaming while trapped in her bedroom at the time of the fire. The call captured her pleading for help before going silent.
A witness also testified that Bogatin and his girlfriend were facing eviction at the time of the fire.
Prosecutors argued there was no financial reason for Bogatin to set the fire as any insurance payout would have gone to the bankruptcy trustee, not his girlfriend.
The Commonwealth's Attorney said the case was built on circumstantial evidence.
"This was a circumstantial evidence case, which means nobody has a photograph of him starting this fire, but there were so many issues that we uncovered through the course of the investigation and also the analysis. It was one of those things where it had to be this individual because the circumstantial evidence came down to it," said R.D. Bob Anderson.
Bogatin is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5.
Demolition of burned home
Dig deeper:
Bogatin's conviction comes as neighbors wait for his burned-out home to be demolished. The county approved an ordinance in July to speed up the process, but the charred structure is still standing. Aker's home has been demolished
Neighbors say the home is a constant reminder of a horrific crime. Some believe it's disrespectful to leave the property as it is.
READ MORE | Loudoun County moves to demolish burned townhome nearly 1 year after deadly fire
The county told residents it was going through a procurement process to hire a contractor. Neighbors said it's especially frustrating as the county had 30 days to address the problem.
"It's kind of incredible how the county was able to convict a person who murdered an individual faster than they can clean up this site," said resident Thomas Williams.
"When it rains, it stinks incredibly bad," neighbor Paul Caiazzo said. "Like, that smoky smell that we just can’t get rid of. And it’s a very visceral reminder of what happened almost a year ago."
The Source: Information in this article is from Loudoun County Court officials.