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Fire that killed six was arson, authorities say

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published April 12, 2007

HAPPY VALLEY, CALIF.

A Tuesday morning fire that engulfed a rural Northern California home, severely burning the six family members found dead inside, appears to have been arson and may have been set by one of those killed, investigators said Wednesday. Authorities said it was possible the victims died before the blaze was set. Investigators found "some trauma" on the bodies that was not caused by the fire. The victims range in age from a 13-year-old girl to a man in his 60s. Autopsies were to begin Wednesday, but the bodies were so badly burned that dental records and DNA may be necessary to identify them.

HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS

Teenager's killer is executed

Convicted killer James Lee Clark was executed Wednesday for the 1993 rape and slaying of a high school honors student just days after he was paroled from prison. When asked by the warden if he had a final statement, Clark said he didn't know what to say. Several seconds passed and he noticed witnesses watching him through a nearby window. He blurted out, "Oh, I didn't know anybody was there. Howdy." Clark, 38, was on parole after serving less than a year of a 10-year term for burglary in Dallas County when he was arrested for the slaying of Catherine Crews, 17.

WASHINGTON

WALTER REED BEYOND REPAIR, PANEL CONCLUDES

Money woes and Pentagon neglect are to blame for shoddy outpatient conditions and bureaucratic delays at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, an independent review has concluded. Calling for major changes in troop care, the Independent Review Group said the aging hospital in Washington, D.C., was beyond the point of repair. It urged a quick infusion of funds to relieve short-term problems and said the Pentagon should accelerate plans to build a facility in Bethesda, Md. Citing lapses in leadership and oversight as main reasons for the problems, the nine-member independent group concluded that the Defense Department was, or should have been, aware of the problems but neglected them because it knew Walter Reed was slated for eventual closure.

NEW YORK

Sallie Mae settles student loan case

SLM Corp., the nation's largest student loan provider, will stop offering perks to college employees as part of a settlement announced Wednesday in a widening inquiry into the student loan industry. SLM Corp., commonly known as Sallie Mae, also agreed to pay $2-million into a fund to educate students and parents about the financial aid industry, and it will adopt a code of conduct created by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

[Last modified April 12, 2007, 09:13:29]