A jury has found the Hamilton-area man accused of killing his mother and stepfather by setting fire to their Dundas home almost four years ago guilty of two counts of first degree murder.
Richard Taylor, 46, was on trial for allegedly killing Carla and Alan Rutherford, who died after a blaze was deliberately set in the master bedroom of their Greening Court home at about 3:30 a.m. on July 9, 2018.
Taylor, a former teacher at Hess Street Elementary School in Hamilton, pleaded not guilty.
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Closing arguments made in trial for son accused of double murder in Dundas arson
Investigators have said the fire began as a result of someone pouring a “medium petroleum distillate” around the Rutherfords’ bed and igniting it with an open flame.
Carla, 64, was pronounced dead on the front lawn after firefighters pulled her body from the house.
Alan, 63, managed to escape the house by jumping through the bedroom window. More than 90 per cent of his body was burned and he died in hospital about 12 hours after the fire.
More to come…