EDGEWOOD, Md. — Bobbie Sue Hodge was sentenced to 180 years in prison for an arson that left four people dead in Edgewood.
Hodge was found guilty of first-degree arson and four counts of felony murder back in 2022, but the case was remanded by the Appellate Court of Maryland for a new trial after the original trial court did not conduct a hearing to determine whether she requested to fire her attorney before trial.
On May 9, 2019, firefighters responded to a house fire in the 1900 block of Simons Court around 2:30 a.m.
RELATED: 63-year-old woman found guilty of arson and murder, faces four life sentences
Three people died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Firefighters rescued a fourth resident, but they succumbed to their injuries eight months later.
Three other residents were seriously injured after escaping the fire by leaping from a top-floor window.
During a joint investigation between the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Harford County Sheriff's Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), it was found that Hodge lived in a room in the basement of the home and had escaped the fire fully-clothed with her belongings and personal documents.
READ MORE: Harford County woman convicted in quadruple fatal fire
Investigators learned that Hodge was going to be evicted from the home, had repeatedly left the stove on, and had made threats to burn the home down.
Witnesses saw her moving away from a couch on the second floor as the fire started.
As the investigation went on, the cause of the fire was determined to be incendiary, resulting from deliberate acts of introducing an open flame to combustibles.
The fire extended to five rowhomes, causing major damage and property loss.
WMAR-2 News spoke with Hodge prior to her arrest, where she claimed to be a victim after setting the home on fire.
WATCH: Harford County woman convicted in quadruple fatal fire
“It can be very challenging to retry cases that were already successfully prosecuted when they are remanded for retrial. However, I am proud of the work my office does each day to seek justice for victims, no matter the obstacles and circumstances. Despite the hurdles, my office was able to secure a new sentence that will ensure that Bobbie Sue Hodge is never a danger to society again,” said State's Attorney Alison Healey.
Hodge was sentenced to 40 years of incarceration for each of the four counts of first-degree felony murder and 20 years of incarceration for three counts of second-degree assault.
That sentence will run consecutively for a total of 180 years to serve.
