A Philadelphia man will not take the stand in his retrial on murder charges in a fire that killed his two young sons three decades ago.
Fifty-six-year-old Daniel Dougherty was sentenced to death in the 1985 deaths of 4-year-old Daniel and 3-year-old John. He was granted a new trial after an appeals court said his lawyer was ineffective.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that defense attorneys rested their case a consultant testified that it was impossible to tell where or how the Oxford Circle fire started.
Dougherty has said he awoke to see the house ablaze, ran outside and then tried desperately to save his sons.
Philadelphia investigators said the blaze was set in three places — a sofa, a love seat and under a dining room table.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
