<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3otKdI_1GoJ0Y3200" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3otKdI_1GoJ0Y3200" width="1024" height="668" ></figure>A Prince George’s County, Maryland Fire Department lieutenant testified before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Nov. 4 that the fire that burned a 24-year-old woman’s body in 2019 was set intentionally with gasoline.Thomas Fields Jr., 42, is charged with first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, and three counts of tampering with physical evidence. The charges stem from Fields’ alleged involvement in the Aug. 17, 2019 fatal stabbing of Marquita Lucas, 24, on the 3700 block of Horner Place, SE. Lucas’ body was found later the same day in a fire in Bowie, Maryland. Charges from two other 2019 incidents Fields allegedly committed, an assault on a woman with a gun and a separate gun possession, were previously severed and will be tried separately. The lieutenant, who served as lead investigator at the scene, testified that the fire was reported as a brush fire on the side of the road and was still smoldering when she arrived at the scene. The witness said investigators noticed juice bottles in the area of Lucas’ body and a “notable odor of gasoline.”The prosecution showed photos to the jury that captured a rainbow sheen in a stream below where Lucas’ body was found, which the investigator said showed gasoline in the water. The witness testified that the fire started at Lucas’ body. “The point of origin was the victim’s body,” the lieutenant said. According to the lieutenant, an “open-flamed device” was used “to ignite the vapors of the gasoline,” which then set Lucas’ body on fire.“This was an international fire,” the witness said.In cross-examination, Fields’ attorney, Shawn Sukumar asked whether the ignition source could have been a lighter, and the witness agreed. The lieutenant said investigators did not find a lighter and could not identify who set the fire. An FBI forensic scientist who analyzed evidence from the fire scene testified that two soil samples, a clothing sample, and an empty bottle all contained ignitable residues. The witness said that the bottle held two ignitable liquids, a petroleum product and gasoline.In cross-examination, Fields’ other attorney, Jesse Winograd, asked whether the gasoline could have originated from the street. The witness agreed and also stated that his testing could not determine how much gasoline was present, when it was deposited, or who deposited it.A Prince George’s County crime scene investigator walked the jury through 36 photos of the wooded area near a guardrail and storm drain where Lucas’ body was found. The investigator identified items recovered from the scene, including a milk jug, a burned blanket, burned rug pieces, a plastic sheet, brown rope, and an electrical wire found beneath Lucas’ body.The prosecution also presented evidence from a white Nissan Frontier truck. According to court documents, prosecutors allege Fields forced a man at gunpoint to use the truck to transport Lucas’ body from Horner Place to Bowie, Maryland, where she was set on fire.A former DC Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) crime scene investigator testified that she photographed the vehicle, including damage to its passenger side, before it was towed for further processing.A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective who was present when the truck was processed on Aug. 20, 2019, identified photos of suspected blood splatter inside the vehicle and detergent in the truck bed.In cross-examination, Sukumar asked whether the detective determined who the vehicle was registered to. The detective said that was not part of her role. The witness agreed with Sukumar that the suspected blood was also found on the driver’s side, including near the driver’s side door handle.Lucas’ sister also testified, telling the jury that Lucas, whom the family called “Kiki,” was her baby sister and that the two “spoke everyday.”The sister said she provided photos of Lucas’ tattoos to the medical examiner after learning that something had happened to her.Parties are slated to continue Fields’ trial on Nov. 5.</div></body>

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A Prince George’s County, Maryland Fire Department lieutenant testified before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Nov. 4 that the fire that burned a 24-year-old woman’s body in 2019 was set intentionally with gasoline. Thomas Fields Jr., 42, is charged with first-degree murder while armed with aggravating...

» Fire Lieutenant Testifies Victim’s Burning Was ‘Intentional’ in 2019 Murder Trial

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A Prince George’s County, Maryland Fire Department lieutenant testified before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Nov. 4 that the fire that burned a 

» Fire Lieutenant Testifies Victim’s Burning Was ‘Intentional’ in 2019 Murder Trial

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