SALISBURY, Md.- A 43-year-old man has been indicted on arson and related charges in connection with a fire at a Salisbury home in which a woman was found dead.
Maryland State Police said that on Monday a Wicomico County grand jury indicted Kenneth G. Evans, of no fixed address, on the charges of first-degree arson, theft, and reckless endangerment. Evans was arrested without incident by state police on an initial warrant on the morning of May 28. He continues to be held without bond in the Wicomico County Detention Center.
The investigation began on May 21, when the body of a woman was found inside a burning home on the 28000-block of Glastonbury Drive in Salisbury. Investigators from the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the State Police Homicide Unit have been investigating both the cause of the fire and the cause of the woman’s death.
Investigators obtained and reviewed evidence found at and in the area of the crime scene. They also conducted numerous interviews and related investigative work. Authorities said evidence and information developed through investigation led deputies from the Office of the State Fire Marshal and State Police investigators to determine the fire was deliberately set by the suspect.
The cause and manner of death of the victim remain under investigation by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where autopsy results are pending. Medical examiners recently confirmed the identity of the victim as Helen E. Riggins, 64, who lived in the home where she was found.
A motive for this crime and any connections between the suspect and the victim remain under investigation. Additional charges are possible, according to police.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.