Judge Asked to Toss Statement in Fatal Coatsville Fire

Attorneys for a suburban Philadelphia man accused of setting a fire that killed an elderly woman are asking a judge to toss out a videotaped statement he made to police.

Twenty-four-year-old George Donkewicz is charged with murder and arson in the December 2008 fire in Coatesville that killed 83-year-old Irene Kempest, who had been imprisoned in a German work camp during World War II.

His attorneys argue that mental infirmity prevented him from understanding the charges when police questioned him, and they also want the trial moved or a jury brought in from another county due to publicity. A hearing is scheduled next month.

Donkewicz also faces charges in five other fires in Coatesville, which was hit by a wave of arsons between 2007 and 2009. Two men have pleaded guilty to some of the blazes.