Police: Arson suspect bragged as he watched deadly Homewood fire

A Homewood man became so enraged by a bar fight early Wednesday that he set fire to a house — killing two adults and a child inside — and then bragged about the crime to witnesses as he watched the home burn, according to court documents.

Martell Smith, 41, is charged with three counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide and nine arson-related charges for the Wednesday fire that killed Shamira Staten, 21, her 4-year-old daughter Ch'yenne Manning and Sandra Carter Douglas, 58.

“She loved her daughter more than anything,” said Marissa Terrell, a friend of Staten's. “There really wasn't a time she was not smiling, and her daughter was definitely a reflection of her.”

Terrell said Staten worked to do what was best for her daughter.

“She was just as beautiful (and) kind,” she said of Ch'yenne. “Always joyful, very free-spirited.”

None of those killed were involved in the bar fight earlier that night.

“Yep, yep, I did it, they shouldn't (expletive) with me,” a witness heard Smith say at the scene while the house burned, according to a criminal complaint filed early Thursday.

Tiasa Malloy, 26, also was arrested in relation to the arson and charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest.

According to the complaint against her, Malloy became violent and belligerent when she was taken to police headquarters for questioning.

“(Detectives) heard Malloy screaming in the interview room and kicking/striking the walls of the interview room,” police wrote, adding she also threw chairs at the walls and police.

Officers handcuffed Malloy, shackled her to the floor and removed from the room anything that was not bolted down, the complaint said.

Police wrote that Malloy said she “didn't give a (expletive)” about the child's death, and that one of the women “probably deserved it.”

The deadly series of events began at a Penn Hills club called The Spot, where Smith and a man identified only as “Witness 2” got into a fight, according to the complaint.

A friend broke up the altercation, but as Witness 2 — who was related to the fire victims and lived in the targeted home — left the bar, Smith instigated a second fight, police wrote.

The two fought again, and Smith allegedly lost, according to police.

Witness 2 and his friend drove back toward Pittsburgh's Homewood neighborhood, where they sat in the car talking, according to the complaint. Witness 2 said he smelled smoke. Then he received a call that his house was on fire.

Witness 2 picked Smith out of a photo array, police said.

At least two witnesses heard Smith admit to the arson at the scene while the home burned. One reported hearing Smith say, “I heard Sandra was in there ... she's dead ... oh, well, that's life ... they made me do it,” according to the complaint.

A photo taken by a witness showed the suspects — later identified as Smith and Malloy — at the scene, police said.

When police found Smith and Malloy in a white Pontiac Grand Prix parked on Brushton Avenue, both smelled of gasoline, police said.

During an interview with police, Smith “rapidly gave inconsistent accounts of his whereabouts and actions throughout his statement,” many of which police were able to prove to be false, according to the complaint.

Smith allegedly first told police that he'd purchased a gas can at the Penn Avenue Sunoco that night, but later insisted he did not buy a gas can, police wrote. Surveillance footage from the gas station that night shows Smith purchasing a gas can just before the fire started.

He said he and Malloy smelled of gas because they'd spilled some out of the can while they were in the Grand Prix.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8519, mguza@tribweb.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib.