Darius Hazard, accused of setting the fire that killed his parents at their North Adams home, reportedly told police, “I guess I snapped,” according to newly released court documents. Prosecutors said Hazard assaulted his parents, Venture and Donald Hazard, at 77 Francis Street before pouring gasoline on the first floor and igniting a fire early Monday morning.
The Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office said he later confessed to both the assault and the arson. Hazard was arraigned on Wednesday in Northern Berkshire District Court on two counts of first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing.
Court records outline the hours leading up to the fire. Neighbors leaving for Walmart between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. noticed smoke rising from the Hazards’ home. At first, they assumed it came from a wood stove, but concern grew when smoke began pouring from a vent, according to the area WNYT.
One neighbor approached a window and felt heat radiating from the glass while smelling burning wood. While one neighbor banged on the door, the other dialed 911. Police arrived to find white smoke coming from the structure. Neighbors told officers they believed the couple was inside and that their son had likely already left for work.
An officer kicked open a door but found it partially blocked by furniture, then forced entry through another entrance. Officers found the couple in the living room and determined they had not escaped the fire. Investigators later went to Stop & Shop to notify Hazard of his parents’ deaths.
His manager said he was not scheduled to work until 10 a.m. and had neither arrived nor called, which was unusual. Officers eventually located him at Walmart in North Adams. When asked if he knew what had happened at the house, he reportedly answered yes. An officer then asked if he was doing all right, to which he replied, “Truthfully, no.” When asked to explain further, Hazard said, “I guess I snapped,” according to court records.
Hazard told officers he had been overwhelmed by caring for his mother, who struggled with mobility issues. He said she had fallen earlier that morning and that he became “really, really angry,” pushing both parents and striking them. He admitted pouring gasoline upstairs and in the living room, lighting a match, and leaving while they called out “come back” and “help me, help us, we are in trouble.”
He then drove to Clinton, Massachusetts, where he said he attempted to harm himself. Hazard was taken to a hospital for treatment, released around 5:30 p.m., and arrested shortly afterward. Autopsy findings noted injuries consistent with assault as well as evidence of smoke inhalation. The case remains under active investigation as prosecutors prepare for upcoming court proceedings.
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