Friday, September 11th, 2026 — An 80-year-old Virginia man has been convicted of first-degree murder and multiple arson charges in connection with a deliberately set townhome fire that killed his neighbor and was followed by an insurance claim the next day.
A Loudoun County Circuit Court jury found Jacob Bogatin guilty in the Oct. 24, 2025, fire in Sterling. The blaze killed 36-year-old Madelaine Samantha Akers. A joint investigation by the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office determined the three-alarm fire was intentionally set.
Firefighters were called shortly after 1 a.m. to the 20,000 block of Riptide Square after reports of a structure fire and possible entrapment. Two townhomes were heavily involved when crews arrived, and flames were spreading to a third unit. The intensity of the fire and risk of structural collapse initially forced firefighters to attack it from outside.
After crews brought the fire under control and entered the buildings, first responders found Akers’ remains inside one of the townhomes.
The jury convicted Bogatin of first-degree murder, three counts of arson of an occupied dwelling and one count of arson involving personal property valued at more than $1,000. All are felony charges. Bogatin was arrested four days after the fire and has remained at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
The case has a direct insurance claims component because Bogatin filed an insurance claim the day after the fire, according to the information provided. For property claims professionals, a loss involving suspected intentional conduct can require coordination among insurer investigators, fire marshals and law enforcement while the cause and circumstances of the loss are examined. The supplied information does not identify the insurer, the amount claimed, whether any insurance proceeds were paid or the disposition of the claim.
Bogatin is scheduled to be sentenced in early December.
