Daily Voice
By Sam Barron & Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice
Murder charges have been filed against a 70-year-old retired corrections officer months after a fire that authorities now say he started, ABC7 reports.
According to the outlet, William "Bill" Ahle initially told police that he ran into the flames to try to save 82-year-old Virginia Cranwell after noticing them while walking his dog on Kempshall Terrace in Fanwood around 1:40 a.m., Friday, July 25. Ahle was subsequently hospitalized with severe burns to his arms.
But on Wednesday, Dec. 10, a SWAT team raided Ahle's home next door where he was taken into custody, ABC7 reports.
Later that day, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel announced that Ahle was charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, burglary, and aggravated arson.
Ahle has been identified as a retired sergeant in the Union County Jail. He was lodged at the Middlesex County Jail.
Cranwell was remembered by her obituary on the Fanwood Memorial Website as "soft-spoken, deeply caring, and emotionally invested in the people and animals around her."
She is survived by her three children, David, Greg, and Yvonne, and her grandchildren, Alisha and Weston. She was also devoted to her “grandkittens,” whom she cared for lovingly.
"Virginia's life was defined by how she made others feel-loved, safe, seen. Her spirit was gentle," the obituary says. "Her laughter came easily. Her kindness was instinctive. She created joy in everyday moments through play, through affection, through simple connection."
Click here for more from ABC7 and here for Virginia Cranwell's complete obituary.
Newsweek Top
The Daily Beast Entertainment