Hudson Valley Airbnb Hosts Charged With Manslaughter

A Hudson Valley couple has been charged in the death of a mother and her young daughter.

In October, a tragic fire took the lives of a mother and her one-year-old daughter who were staying at an Airbnb in the Hudson Valley. John and Shannon Hubbard were visiting the Town of Clinton from Cape Cod with their two children, Jack and Maggie when a fire broke their family apart.

On the night of October 13, John and Shannon were out on the patio when they smelled smoke coming from inside the Salt Point residence where Jack and Maggie were sleeping. John immediately called 911 while Shannon raced inside to rescue their children. According to police, John also attempted to get the children out of the burning home but was unsuccessful.

First responders who arrived on the scene were able to locate the children and their mother and get them out of the building, but both Shannon and one-year-old Maggie died from their injuries.

Manslaughter Charges Brought Against Hudson Valley Homeowners

On Wednesday, Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi announced that the owners of the Airbnb have been charged in the deaths. Dennis and Meredith Darcy are facing two counts of Manslaughter in the Second Degree.

Prosecutors say the 57-year-old man and 55-year-old woman are responsible for the tragic deaths after lying about having working smoke detectors in the home. According to Parisi, the Darcys claimed on the Airbnb listing that the home was equipped with smoke detectors, but failed to have working smoke alarms installed in the house.

Furthermore, authorities say the couple was not in compliance with fire, building, and residential codes for New York State and failed to obtain a permit to rent the home, which is required by the Clinton zoning law.

This week, a Grand Jury concluded that the Darcys deliberately ignored the risk of life to their tenants, indicting the couple on manslaughter charges. A $50,000 cash bail was set for each defendant ahead of their appearance in court on April 7.

Soon after the fire, a fundraiser was launched for the family by the Greg Hill Foundation with a goal of $10,000. As of this week, $246,780 has been raised for John Hubbard and his three-year-old son Jack.