Philly man convicted again in arson death of two young sons

A man has been convicted of murder again in what authorities called an arson that killed his two young sons three decades ago.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that jurors deliberated for a week before convicting 56-year-old Daniel Dougherty Monday in the 1985 deaths of 4-year-old Daniel and 3-year-old John.

Dougherty said he awoke to see the Oxford Circle house ablaze, ran outside and then tried desperately to save his sons.

Defense attorneys said it was impossible to tell where or how the blaze started. Investigators said the fire was set in three places.

Dougherty was originally sentenced to death. Prosecutors didn’t seek the death penalty in the retrial.Dougherty didn’t testify in his own defense, but his testimony in the first trial was read to the jury.