Charges Filed In NY AirBnB Fire That Killed Cape Cod Mom, Child

BREWSTER, MA — The owners of a New York AirBnB where a local mother and infant perished in an October fire have been charged with manslaughter.

New York state police announced Thursday the arrests of Meredith Darcy, 55, and Dennis Darcy, 57, both of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.

They each face two counts of second-degree manslaughter, a class C felony, according to police.

The fire started on Oct. 13, 2024 around 10:30 p.m. at a residence on Clinton Hollow Road in Clinton, New York.

A family of four from Brewster had been on vacation and renting the AirBnB at the time.

Emergency personnel responded and took the family, including John Hubbard, 40, Shannon Hubbard, 35, and their two children, Jack, age 3, and Margaret, a one-year-old, to area hospitals.

Shannon Hubbard and her one-year-old daughter succumbed to their injuries, police said.

An investigation determined the residence was not properly equipped with functional smoke detectors, according to state police. This violates New York state fire, building and residential codes.

Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said in a press release, “This devastating tragedy could have been prevented. The deaths of Shannon Hubbard and her young daughter in this senseless fire serve as a tragic reminder of the critical role smoke detectors play in safeguarding lives.”

“We must commit to ensuring that no other family faces this same devastating fate,” he said.

Fire investigators concluded the blaze started in the chimney flue and was not intentionally set.

The couple has been arraigned in Dutchess County Court in New York, and they are next due to appear on April 7.

A fundraiser for the Hubbard family, organized through the Greg Hill Foundation, was launched in October and raised $246,780 as of Friday morning.