Harsher Sentence Given For Arson Fire That Killed 4 Residents

EDGEWOOD, MD — An Edgewood woman guilty of multiple charges in the deaths of four people in a 2019 townhome fire has been sentenced to 180 years in prison, Harford County officials said.

Bobbie Sue Hodge, 66, was convicted of arson in the first degree, four counts of felony murder and three counts of assault in the second degree, according to a news release from the state's attorney.

She was sentenced July 1 to life in prison for the May 9, 2019, arson fire that killed four people. She was previously prosecuted in 2022, and then on appeal won a second trial that also resulted in her conviction, according to the Harford County Attorney's office.

This new conviction and sentence of life in prison, suspending all but 180 years, will ensure that Hodge serves more time than she would have under her original 2022 sentence before being eligible for parole, prosecutors said.

Hodge was one of nine people who lived in the multi-story townhouse at 1962 Simons Court. Authorities said Hodge lived in a room in the basement of the residence and was to be evicted from the residence. She had repeatedly left the kitchen stove on, and had made comments that she should burn the residence down.

Prosecutors said Hodge was also seen moving away from a couch on the second floor as the fire started. The cause of the fire was determined to result from deliberately introducing an open flame to combustible materials.

Ernest Lee, Dionne Hill and Kimberly Shupe, who were on the third floor, died in the fire. Another third-floor occupant escaped the fire by jumping out of his third-floor bedroom window, and suffered a broken ankle and arm.

Mary Elizabeth Kennedy, who was living on the second floor, was rescued by firefighters and taken to an area hospital for treatment, but she died from her injuries on Jan. 22, 2020.

Related:

• Guilty Verdict In Deadly Fire Handed Down To Edgewood Woman
• Woman Sentenced In Edgewood Fire That Killed 4 Townhome Residents

Following the hearing, State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey said in a statement: “It can be very challenging to retry cases that were already successfully prosecuted when they are remanded for retrial. However, I am proud of the work my office does each day to seek justice for victims, no matter the obstacles and circumstances. Despite the hurdles, my office was able to secure a new sentence that will ensure that Bobbie Sue Hodge is never a danger to society again.”

Healey recognized the members of the Joppa Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company for their heroic actions in their rescue attempts of the victims of this crime and for saving additional lives with their swift action.

According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal at the time, the townhouse operated as an "illegal group home." It was described as a lodging and rooming house, based on the number of people living there.

To be in compliance with Maryland code, authorities told Patch the townhouse needed a complete residential complete sprinkler system, fire alarm and smoke alarms through the house, including in the sleeping areas.

"If a sprinkler system was in place, these folks would not have lost their lives," fire marshal Brian Geraci said.

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