Darrell A. Seagraves (29 years of age) pled guilty and was sentenced on Thursday, October 19, 2023, by a Loudoun County Circuit Court Grand Jury for his role in a house fire that took place in November of 2017. Judge Sincavage imposed a sentence of five years in prison with four suspended on one felony count of burning or destroying an occupied dwelling (§ 18.2-77).
On November 4, 2017, occupants of a single-family dwelling in the 17000 block of Tedler Circle in Round Hill dialed 9-1-1 reporting an odor of gasoline. Loudoun County Fire and Rescue (LCFR) units arrived on scene and found remains of a fire and immediately requested the LCFR Fire Marshal’s Office to respond and investigate. During the course of the investigation, Fire Marshal investigators determined the fire was intentionally set and collected evidence from the scene. The evidence was submitted for examination by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Forensic Science. At the time of evidence submission, no matching DNA was on file.
On September 16, 2022, investigators were notified by the Virginia Department of Forensic Science that DNA collected from the evidence matched Darrell Seagraves. After obtaining a search warrant, a DNA sample was collected from Mr. Seagraves and re-tested. Forensic evidence, coupled with extensive investigative efforts, confirmed Mr. Seagraves alleged involvement in setting the 2017 fire. Darrell Seagraves was indicted on January 9, 2023, by a Loudoun County Circuit Court Grand Jury for one felony count of burning or destroying an occupied dwelling.
“This case is a great example of the unwavering commitment of the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office and our determination to bring cases like these to closure,” said Chief Fire Marshal Micah Kiger. “I am proud of the work of our investigators and thank our partner agencies for their assistance during this joint investigation.”
The LCFR Fire Marshal’s Office would like to thank the Virginia Department of Forensic Science, the City of Norfolk Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division, the Office of the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, the Norfolk Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for their efforts during this investigation, not only to identify the suspect, but for providing resources needed to assist in bringing this case to resolution.