Six times, families in Maryland woke up to the terror of a fire burning at their homes, the work of an arsonist. He hit one target three times — including just before a family was about to move back into their damaged home. In all, 12 fires damaged or destroyed cars and buildings.
Some attacks were caught on video. But for years, investigators didn't know who was setting the fires, which hit several Maryland counties over nearly a decade. Then came another shocker: the man behind the fires was David Crawford, who had repeatedly pledged to protect others and had recently been the police chief in Laurel, Md.