Washington
Family mourns loved ones who died in suspected arson
Flowers and tears from friends and neighbors overwhelmed by the tragedy at the home on 23rd Street Southeast Sunday morning.
Margaret McKinnon, an 84-year-old retired nurse who worked at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital for more than 25 years, and her son, 64-year-old Ronald McKinnon, were trapped on an upper floor, overcome by heavy smoke and were unable to escape.
Margaret’s McKinnon’s daughter, Reece, is still processing shock and grief at what happened to her mother and brother.
“A neighbor gave me a call at 5:55 that morning saying, ‘Reese, get over here.’”
Because 56-year-old Robert Simpson, the man in custody for setting the fire, is still going through the judicial process, she’s not comfortable with her face on camera, but she wants to talk about her family and the generations of love held in the walls of this home.
“My mom, she’s always been a strong person,” she said. “Everybody knew her. Everybody loved her.”
She says her brother, Ronald, spent his days caring for their mother.
“Everybody knew our family and especially him,” she said. “He made sure he was known to everyone. So that’s just who he was, a friendly person that got along with everyone.”
She says she does not know much about the third victim, Jessica Cunningham.
Court proceedings revealed Cunningham had relationship problems with the suspect and police had been called to the home four times for small fires and broken windows.
Reece expressed compassion at the fact that Cunningham had been preceded in death by her two little daughters, who also tragically died by arson back in 2016, a fire set by Cunningham’s own mother.
She says she’s grateful for the strength of her own family as they struggle with the unthinkable.
“The support for family, it’s important to me and me being strong, just going to struggle to go on with this situation,” she said.
Funeral services for Margaret and Ronald McKinnon are currently being planned by the family.
WASHINGTON TWP., N.J. — Officers in Washington Township, said they finished a DoorDash food delivery after arresting the driver who had warrants out for his arrest.
Body camera video shows officers stepping in to deliver the food themselves, a move the department in southern New Jersey later shared on its Facebook page.
“I thought something happened. Oh my God, I got so scared,” said the customer when she answered the door.
The DoorDash customer, seen on police body cam video, was instantly relieved and appreciative upon learning why officers were at her door.
“Arrested your driver, but, yeah, we delivered your food,” one of the officers said.
It turns out a Washington Township police officer stopped the DoorDash driver during routine patrols in front of a high school over the weekend.
“He made a stop on it for a violation,” said Washington Township Police Chief Patrick Gurcsik.
But then, Chief Gurcsik said the officer learned the driver had warrants out for his arrest in another county.
“He made the officers aware that he had two DoorDash meals in the car that he was in the middle of delivering,” Gurcsik said.
The officers went from cuffing the driver to ringing a doorbell to finish his delivery.
“I never heard of anything like that in the South Jersey area. It’s sort of a first for us here in Washington Township, definitely,” Gurcsik said.
Police finish DoorDash delivery after arresting driver in New Jersey
It’s happened in other places, too, including in New Mexico last summer, when a motorcycle cop delivered someone’s Chick-fil-A order after arresting the driver.
“Hello, sir, got your DoorDash. Oh, thank you,” the officer said. “He’s a good kid, give him five stars. He just didn’t take care of a simple insurance ticket.”
And officers over in Arizona made a similar arrest during a traffic stop and were seen on body camera finishing the delivery.
“Your GrubHub, still delivered your pizza,” the officer said.
“We definitely serve the community in more ways than one,” Gurcsik said.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
SEATTLE — A bill aimed at tightening Washington’s laws on child sex abuse material is headed to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s desk after clearing the Legislature unanimously.
King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said 2ESSB 5105 passed the House unanimously Tuesday night after the Senate unanimously approved it on Jan. 28, 2026.
SEE ALSO | Washington exempts clergy from reporting abuse learned in confession after settlement
Manion called the measure one of her public safety legislative priorities.
“People who peddle in the misery of sexually abused children must be held accountable,” Manion said. “I am grateful for the work of Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Laura Harmon – both in prosecuting these cases and advocating for these legal fixes – and Senators Tina Orwall and Manka Dhingra for championing this legislation.”
Manion’s office said the current state law has gaps that can prevent prosecutors from holding offenders accountable in some cases.
Under current law, prosecutors cannot charge defendants for creating images of child sex abuse unless the child victim was conscious or knew they were being recorded.
The office also said that possessing sexually explicit fabricated (AI) images of non-identifiable minors is not considered child sex abuse material under Washington law.
The bill would update RCW 9.68A.040 to remove the requirement that a child be aware of an abusive recording. It would also update the definition of child sex abuse material to include fabricated (AI) images of non-identifiable minors.
The legislation would also increase the statute of limitations to 10 years for depiction crimes. Manion’s office said the current statute of limitations is three years, and argued that because the images can remain online indefinitely, victims can be re-traumatized for decades.
A Character-Rich Family Home in Connecticut That Bridges Past and Present
Delaware Officials Highlight DTRN360, Innovative Behavioral Health Care Coordination Platform – State of Delaware News
Florida college Republicans group chat reveals racist texts: ‘Avoid the coloreds like the plague’
Amid tariff and trade confusion, Georgia posted record exports in 2025
Kay’s Crackseed: The Manoa shop preserving Hawaii’s favorite childhood snack
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Map: 4.9-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Louisiana
Paxton vows he’s ‘staying in this race’ even if Trump backs Cornyn in Texas GOP clash
Which Kurdish groups is the US rallying to fight Iran?
Man accused of plot to assassinate Trump testifies Iran pressured him, says Biden and Haley were other possible targets
DHS defends McLaughlin against allegations husband’s company profited millions from ad contracts: ‘Baseless’
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Wisconsin4 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Maryland5 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida5 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Oregon6 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling