The Brief
- Opening statements expected Wednesday in the fatal fire case.
- Blaze spread home to home, killing Akers and displacing eight people.
- Court documents show an insurance claim filed the day after the fire.
LEESBURG, Va. – Opening statements are expected Wednesday as the trial begins for the Sterling man accused of intentionally setting his home on fire, a blaze that killed one person.
Court proceedings are set to resume at 10 a.m. in the case of Jacob Bogatin, the 78‑year‑old now facing multiple charges, including first‑degree murder for the October 24, 2025 fire that killed his neighbor, 36‑year‑old Madelaine Samantha Akers.
Sheriff’s deputies say they and firefighters responded to a townhome on Riptide Square to find two homes on fire and possible entrapment. The blaze spread from home to home, killing Akers, destroying two townhomes, damaging a third and displacing eight people.…