Wife, ‘acquaintance' charged in house fire that killed her husband
A Forsyth County woman has been charged with setting fire to her home, killing her husband.
Peter Delaney, a pilot and "acquaintance" of 34-year-old Jill Adaire Smith, according to authorities, was also arrested. Both are charged with first degree arson and felony murder.
Investigators say the Oct. 22 fire originated in the master bedroom Mike Smith, 37, shared with his wife on Kennemore Drive in south Forsyth. He was rescued in the adjoining bathroom with "mortal wounds" and transported to a local hospital, said Forsyth County Fire Capt. Jason Shivers. Smith died a few hours later.
His wife and Delaney, of Alpharetta, were in the house when the blaze started but were not injured, officials said.
The fire was "suspicious from the start," Shivers said, though he was mum on details. The Forysth County Sheriff's Office assisted in the investigation, arresting Smith on Tuesday at the home of a relative. Delaney, 37, was arrested the same day while working in Baton Rouge, where he awaits extradition to Forsyth, Sheriff Ted Paxton said in a news release.
He'll join Smith at the county detention center. No bond has been set.
Three of Smith's friends declined requests for comment, and a call to Delaney's attorney has not yet been returned.
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About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
