United States | Landlord who ignored Safety Codes convicted of murder for fatal fire

Insurance Journal | James G. Walker of Washington, D.C. has been found guilty on two counts of second-degree murder, and 27 criminal building code violations, for the deaths of two tenants who were unable to exit when his building erupted in flames.

According to prosecutors, on the morning of 18 August 2019, a fire erupted in the basement of 708 Kennedy Street. Two tenants, 40-year-old Fitsum Kebede and 10-year-old Yafet Solomen, were in the basement and were unable to exit the premises. They subsequently died from thermal burns and smoke inhalation.

The District of Columbia government’s evidence was that Walker’s knowledge of the danger posed by the conditions of the property and his conscious disregard of the extreme risk that death or serious bodily injury could occur were the but-for cause of the two deaths.

According to the government’s evidence, Walker was the owner of the Kennedy Street commercial property, but he did not have a certificate of occupancy for the building and the structure was in violation of several fire safety codes. Prosecutors said Walker operated the building as an illegal “rooming house.”

Officials told the court that Walker had received specific warnings on 21 March 2019, from the Metropolitan Police Department that the building was in violation of several building codes specifically related to fire safety and hazardous conditions. He was instructed to correct the conditions and have the building inspected for residential use. He did not, prosecutors said.

The case was heard in Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The case was jointly tried by the offices of U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and D.C. Attorney General Attorney Brian L. Schwalb.

— Accurate at time of publication | March 2025