Fatal arson trial for Kingston woman continued

Dec. 14—WILKES-BARRE — A January trial for a woman accused of setting two fires that took the life of her husband in Kingston was continued until October at the latest.

Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough granted a request by attorneys Thomas Cometa and Joseph J. Grochal to postponed the trial of their client, Lisa Starruick-Smalls, during a status conference Thursday.

Cometa said the defense team recently received a psychiatric report that needs to be thoroughly reviewed in addition to having Starruick-Smalls evaluated by a psychiatrist for prosecutors.

Kingston police charged Starruick-Smalls with setting fires to a pot of cream of wheat and oil on a kitchen stove and toilet paper and a fur coat inside her apartment on Holiday Drive in the Green Acres complex on Jan. 4, according to court records.

Starruick-Smalls exited the apartment leaving her husband, Wilbert K. Smalls, 74, asleep on a bed, court records say.

Wilbert Smalls was found by Kingston-Forty Fort firefighters Erik Derr who searched the smoke filled apartment. Derr dragged Wilbert Smalls outside where he was transported to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

An autopsy revealed Wilbert Smalls died from smoke inhalation. His death was ruled a homicide by the county coroner's office.

A state police deputy fire marshal ruled the fire was intentionally set.

A trial for Starruick-Smalls on charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, reckless burning and four counts of arson was scheduled to begin Jan. 29.

Vough continued the trial until October at the latest.

Assistant District Attorney Carl Frank is prosecuting.