Wife Survives Failed Attempted Double Suicide, Arson Fire Of Home Lost In Foreclosure; Now Faces Charges In Death Of Husband

In Clark County, Washington, The Columbian reports:

• A former Sifton woman faces an arson charge in connection to a two-alarm house fire that killed her husband nearly two years ago. Prosecutors filed a first-degree arson charge against Sandra J. Cooper, 62, last week in connection to the May 31, 2007, fire.

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• Cooper is believed to have aided her husband, Allen F. Cooper, 67, in starting the fire that destroyed their rental house [...] according to court documents. Allen Cooper died a day later from smoke inhalation, while Sandra Cooper recovered from her injuries and was eventually discharged from Providence Portland Medical Center. The Coopers had lost the house through foreclosure but had been allowed to rent it back, said Senior Deputy Prosecutor John Fairgrieve.

• Sandra Cooper had given written notice that she and her husband would be vacating the house May 31. According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Fairgrieve, the couple were in financial trouble and weren’t working. At some point, Allen Cooper told his wife "he was going to burn the damn house down with him in it," according to the affidavit.

• The night before the fire, Sandra Cooper confronted her husband about a gasoline odor. He told her he had poured gasoline on furniture. She then went to the garage, took a can of gasoline and allegedly poured it over two antique automobiles, the affidavit said. "She told detectives that she then went back upstairs to be with Al and that she took a series of medications," Fairgrieve wrote in the affidavit. Firefighters found the couple unconscious upstairs in their home just before 5 a.m.

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• Fairgrieve said detectives had enough physical evidence to deem it arson, but at first lacked suspects. After Sandra Cooper recuperated from her injuries several months later, she told investigators what happened.

For the story, see Woman faces charge in 2007 fire (She allegedly set it with husband, who died from injuries).

For earlier story, see Washington Authorities Investigating Fire Of Home Involved In Foreclosure; Arson Suspected. ForeclosureHomeVacantBeta suicide homeowner foreclosure zeta