Chickasha Woman Charged With Second-Degree Murder In Fire Death

Wednesday, October 4th 2006, 6:13 am

By: News On 6

CHICKASHA, Okla. (AP) -- Grady County prosecutors file a second-degree murder charge against a Chickasha woman whom they suspect set fire to the apartment of a blind man for whom she was caring.

Andrea -D- Sledge was formally charged Monday, four days after police said she refused to take a polygraph test and requested an attorney during questioning.

The 43-year-old was the caretaker for Maurice Givens, who lived at the Avalon Apartments in Chickasha.

According to police reports, Sledge says she was in the living room of the apartment and Givens was in his bedroom with the door closed when he started yelling that the room was on fire and he couldn't get out.

Two Lawton firefighters who were in town testing new equipment were nearby and responded to the blaze.

The police report says the firefighters had trouble getting Givens out because the door was blocked by a cabinet. Givens was taken to a local hospital before being flown by helicopter to Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City. He died there two days later.

Paramedics treating Givens found that his feet were bound by telephone cord.