DA will seek death penalty in CB deadly fires

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The man accused of setting a string of fires that killed two people in Carolina Beach late last year appeared in court this morning.

Marshall Doran made his first appearance in Superior Court since a grand jury indicted him last month for dozens of charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and 11 counts of attempted murder.

In court this morning, District Attorney Ben David told the judge the state will seek the death penalty if Doran is convicted. Doran’s attorneys asked for a continuance on the capital punishment hearing, because they are waiting on forensic testing. The judge granted the continuance.

Darlene Maslar and Mary Cochran died in one of the three fires investigators say Doran intentionally set in early December.