On April 6, 2019, nine-year-old Kyle Alwood allegedly killed five family members by starting a fire in a mobile home in Goodfield, Illinois.[1][2] The nine-year-old boy was charged with the deaths on October 8.[3]
Incident
At around 11:00 pm, a fire was reported in the central area of Peoria near the village of Goodfield, Illinois. Firefighters came a few minutes after the call. Five bodies -- three children, all under three years old, Kathryn Murray, aged 69, and Jason Wall, aged 34 -- were all found dead from smoke inhalation.[4] Katrina Alwood, aged 27, and her son Kyle both survived the fire.[5]
Charges
Nine-year-old Kyle Alwood was taken into custody and charged with murder six months after the incident. The child was charged with five counts of first-degree murder, two counts of arson, and one count of aggravated arson. Due to his young age, Alwood could face five years of probation if convicted.[1][6]