"Son's Descent into Madness: Darius Hazard Accused of Murdering Parents in Arson"
A shocking case of domestic violence and arson unfolded on Monday when two elderly individuals were found dead in their North Adams home. The victims, Venture (76) and Donald Hazard (83), suffered from mobility issues, which likely made them more vulnerable to attack.
Their 44-year-old son, Darius Hazard, was arrested and charged with one count of arson in connection with the fire that killed his parents. He pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday, but investigators claim he confessed to physically assaulting his parents before pouring gasoline on the first floor and setting the house ablaze between 3-4 a.m.
According to court documents, Hazard became enraged after taking care of his mother, who had developed scoliosis and advanced arthritis. He was frustrated she wasn't improving, and this sentiment allegedly escalated into a violent confrontation with both of his parents. In a desperate attempt to cope with the guilt, he stabbed himself before being taken into custody.
Crews responded to the fire at 77 Francis Street around 7:10 a.m., where they found smoke and "immense heat." Firefighters entered the home through the basement and discovered the two victims dead from smoke inhalation. Their car was missing, and Hazard's vehicle was spotted driving on Route 7 with an unusual absence of rain damage to the parking spot.
After failing to arrive at his shift at Stop & Shop by 10 a.m., colleagues reported it as "extremely unusual." Police eventually tracked down Hazard's vehicle at a Walmart parking lot, where he was taken into custody without incident.
A shocking case of domestic violence and arson unfolded on Monday when two elderly individuals were found dead in their North Adams home. The victims, Venture (76) and Donald Hazard (83), suffered from mobility issues, which likely made them more vulnerable to attack.
Their 44-year-old son, Darius Hazard, was arrested and charged with one count of arson in connection with the fire that killed his parents. He pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday, but investigators claim he confessed to physically assaulting his parents before pouring gasoline on the first floor and setting the house ablaze between 3-4 a.m.
According to court documents, Hazard became enraged after taking care of his mother, who had developed scoliosis and advanced arthritis. He was frustrated she wasn't improving, and this sentiment allegedly escalated into a violent confrontation with both of his parents. In a desperate attempt to cope with the guilt, he stabbed himself before being taken into custody.
Crews responded to the fire at 77 Francis Street around 7:10 a.m., where they found smoke and "immense heat." Firefighters entered the home through the basement and discovered the two victims dead from smoke inhalation. Their car was missing, and Hazard's vehicle was spotted driving on Route 7 with an unusual absence of rain damage to the parking spot.
After failing to arrive at his shift at Stop & Shop by 10 a.m., colleagues reported it as "extremely unusual." Police eventually tracked down Hazard's vehicle at a Walmart parking lot, where he was taken into custody without incident.
, 44 years old and already resorting to arson & stabbing himself? what's going on with the mental health resources in our country? i'm all for holding people accountable, but let's not gloss over the fact that dad was struggling with scoliosis & arthritis... maybe his son could've found a way to support him instead of losing it like this 
. and another thing, what's up with the lack of rain damage on his car? sounds like someone didn't want us to know they were driving erratically 
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It's crazy how quickly things escalated from frustration to full-blown madness.
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Ugh, this case is giving me the chills 
. And poorVenture and Donald, they didn't deserve to go out like that. My heart goes out to their family and loved ones 
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. And then stabbing himself before being caught? Like, what's next? That's just too much 
. Let's try to be more empathetic and less judgmental, okay? 
arson cases are already super serious but when you factor in the abuse and violence, it's like a whole other level of crazy. hope justice is served for venture and donald's family 
. And arson? Are you kidding me?! 
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