A Union County man is accused of intentionally setting a pre-dawn house fire in July that killed his neighbor and left one person hospitalized with burns, authorities said.

William Ahle, 71, of Fanwood, was arrested on Wednesday after a nearly five-month investigation into the blaze that killed 82-year-old Virginia Cranwell, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Ahle is charged with murder, felony murder and burglary, all first-degree crimes, and second-degree aggravated arson, the county prosecutor said.

Cranwell’s death was ruled a homicide after fire officials determined the fire at the home on Kempshall Road was intentionally set, the county prosecutor said. Property records list Ahle as the owner of the home next door to Cranwell’s residence.

The county prosecutor did not i

See Full Page