In Chelsea District Court on Friday, a 27-year-old Chelsea woman faced arraignment on charges of arson and murder stemming from a Christmas Eve fire on Spruce Street that claimed the life of 20-year-old Crystal Lynn Blanchard. Melissa Pfeiffer maintained her innocence during the proceeding but was held without bail.
According to District Attorney Dan Conley, the fire began when Pfeiffer ignited her boyfriend’s clothes. Blanchard, who lived on the second floor of the apartment building, became trapped by the advancing flames and perished in the blaze. Her boyfriend sustained severe burns but escaped by jumping from a second-floor window.
“Miss Blanchard was unable to get out of the building,” said Assistant District Attorney Mark Lee. Two separate witnesses have come forward with accounts of Pfeiffer allegedly confessing to setting her boyfriend’s clothes ablaze, Lee noted.
The incident allegedly occurred following a dispute between Pfeiffer and her boyfriend regarding money. Lee indicated that Pfeiffer left the apartment before returning with the intent to set her boyfriend’s clothes on fire. The couple occupied a first-floor unit, while Blanchard and her boyfriend lived upstairs. The fire spread from the lower level to the upper level, resulting in Blanchard’s death, the DA’s office reported.