Mother charged with trying to kill children in fire

Edith G. Keen, 42, of Albrightsville has been charged by the Kidder Township Police Department with eight felonies and three misdemeanors related to a fire that took place at her Holiday Pocono home on Feb. 9.

According to the complaint, Kidder Township officers were dispatched to Keen’s home to investigate a possible mental health issue. While en route, the officers received a second dispatch to a fire at the same residence.

The officers encountered Keen, who was taken into custody. While there, the officers observed smoke coming from the home and put out the fire using extinguishers from their patrol cars.

Upon investigation the officers determined that Keen had deliberately set fire to the home several times in the days leading up to her arrest. Further investigation led officers to believe that Keen’s children were in the home when the fires were set.

Keen was placed at St. Luke’s Gnaden Huetten Campus for a mental health evaluation. On Wednesday she was released into the custody of Kidder Township Police Department, which formally arrested Keen. She was arraigned before District Judge Joseph D. Homanko.

Keen’s charges range from attempted criminal homicide, arson, aggravated assault, strangulation, endangering the welfare of children and terroristic threats.

After her arraignment, Keen was remanded to Carbon County Correctional Facility awaiting a trial date. Bail was denied. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. March 16.