News Update
Trial date set for man accused in house fire
By Dan Eakin, deakin@starlocalnews.com
One of three persons charged in the fatal fire at a McKinney home last year is scheduled to go on trial Oct. 15 in the courtroom of District Judge John R. Roach Jr.
Christopher Joel Graham, 41, will be tried almost a year after he was accused of burglarizing and then setting fire to the residence at 202 Hillcrest Court in McKinney on Oct. 26.
Steve Cummins, 51, son of prominent McKinney couple Don and Mary Nelle Cummins, died in the fire. His parents were out of state when the burglary and fire occurred.
A few days after the fire, McKinney police arrested Graham and two others were arrested in Dallas. Graham was charged with manslaughter, burglary of a habitation and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The manslaughter charge was in connection with the death of Cummins, which was later ruled to be a result of the fire. Graham was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle because he had taken a 2006 Chrysler van from the Cummins home and was driving it when arrested.
McKinney police, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshal's Joint East Texas Task Force and the Dallas Police Department, also arrested Winfred Raynard Watkins, 41, at a Dallas residence following the fire.
A large number of possessions taken from the Cummins home were recovered at a Dallas residence.
A few days after Graham and Watkins were arrested, 26-year-old Smokey-Dawn Smith, of Garland, was arrested. Watkins and Smith are only charged with burglary of a habitation.
No trial date has been set for Watkins. A hearing for Smith is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 31.
Graham and Smith have been held at the Collin County Detention Center since October. Graham's bonds total $2 million, and Smith's bond is $10,000. Watkins, who had outstanding felony warrants in Dallas County, was booked into the Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Dallas.
The Cummins family members are well known in McKinney. Don Cummins is on the board of directors of the First United Methodist Church of McKinney, and Mary Nelle Cummins founded the Children and Community Health Center of McKinney, a free health clinic for uninsured residents.
Steve Cummins had served as a counselor at Texas Christian University.
Christopher Joel Graham, 41, will be tried almost a year after he was accused of burglarizing and then setting fire to the residence at 202 Hillcrest Court in McKinney on Oct. 26.
Steve Cummins, 51, son of prominent McKinney couple Don and Mary Nelle Cummins, died in the fire. His parents were out of state when the burglary and fire occurred.
A few days after the fire, McKinney police arrested Graham and two others were arrested in Dallas. Graham was charged with manslaughter, burglary of a habitation and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The manslaughter charge was in connection with the death of Cummins, which was later ruled to be a result of the fire. Graham was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle because he had taken a 2006 Chrysler van from the Cummins home and was driving it when arrested.
McKinney police, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshal's Joint East Texas Task Force and the Dallas Police Department, also arrested Winfred Raynard Watkins, 41, at a Dallas residence following the fire.
A large number of possessions taken from the Cummins home were recovered at a Dallas residence.
A few days after Graham and Watkins were arrested, 26-year-old Smokey-Dawn Smith, of Garland, was arrested. Watkins and Smith are only charged with burglary of a habitation.
No trial date has been set for Watkins. A hearing for Smith is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 31.
Graham and Smith have been held at the Collin County Detention Center since October. Graham's bonds total $2 million, and Smith's bond is $10,000. Watkins, who had outstanding felony warrants in Dallas County, was booked into the Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Dallas.
The Cummins family members are well known in McKinney. Don Cummins is on the board of directors of the First United Methodist Church of McKinney, and Mary Nelle Cummins founded the Children and Community Health Center of McKinney, a free health clinic for uninsured residents.
Steve Cummins had served as a counselor at Texas Christian University.
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