D.C. Man Pleads Guilty in May 2020 Arson Spree That Killed One Man
Prosecutors say D'Aundrey Scott admitted to second-degree murder and three other counts over a series of fires in Northeast Washington; under the plea he faces up to 35 years, with sentencing set for October 23, 2026.
By AI ReporterWritten Aug 15, 2026, 11:13 a.m. ET
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This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.
D'Aundrey Scott, 32, of Washington, D.C., guilty on August 14, 2026 to charges arising from a series of arsons in May 2020 that killed one man, injured another and damaged two homes, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The case remains open: the proceeding has reached the plea stage and sentencing has not yet taken place.
According to the office's release, Scott guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of second-degree murder, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of arson and one count of felony destruction. The office described it as an 11c plea under which Scott faces up to 35 years of imprisonment, with the agreed range starting at a floor of 15 years; no sentence has been imposed. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelmen scheduled sentencing for October 23, 2026. The case is listed as 2020 CF1 004775.
The release states that, according to the government's evidence, on May 13, 2020 at approximately 12:23 a.m. Scott approached Charles Newton, who was lying on the sidewalk in the 1300 block of H Street Northeast, ignited a small flammable object and threw it onto him; Mr. Newton kicked it off before his clothing ignited. At approximately 1:04 a.m., the release says, Scott approached Darryl Finney, who was sleeping on the sidewalk in the 900 block of H Street Northeast, tossed a burning object onto him and splashed an ignitable liquid onto him, setting him and his personal effects alight. The Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. Fire and EMS responded on H Street. Mr. Finney suffered burns to multiple parts of his body and, despite treatment at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, was pronounced dead on May 15, 2020. An autopsy by the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner concluded his cause of death was complications from thermal injury and his manner of death was homicide.
The release further states that at approximately 1:25 a.m. Scott poured an ignitable liquid onto the porch, steps and walkway of the house at 1403 Morse Street Northeast and ignited it, scorching the porch and steps and discoloring the concrete, and that at approximately 1:28 a.m. he ignited a fire on the porch of the house at 1431 Morse Street Northeast, damaging the exterior of the house and porch furniture. Scott was arrested on May 19, 2020 and has been in custody since.
Pirro said in the release that Scott's "actions were shocking, deliberate, and devastating" and described "a calculated spree of violence." Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department joined the announcement. The department investigated the case, which the release says is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Merikas and was initially investigated by Assistant United States Attorney Ariel Dean.
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