Hearing scheduled in Carolina Beach deadly fires case

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Prosecutors have announced a hearing in the case of a man accused of starting several fires in Carolina Beach that killed two women.

Marshall Doran was charged in the 2014 fires the killed Darlene Maslar and Mary Cochran. The hearing today will discuss lab testing of some of the evidence.

The state and defense both presented their sides about whether a defense expert should be allowed to witness a fire reenactment.

The reenactment is expected to show how the fire started in a Toyota RAV4 and spread to other vehicles and a building, killing 2 people. According to the state the ATF has never allowed the defense to be present for any of the 80 similar tests they have performed. The defense argued that the only reason the state did not want them there was because their witness might observe something that would undermine that state’s defense.

The judge ruled in favor of the state.

If found guilty Doran could face the death penalty.