After the fire at the Woodhaven complex, Cartwright's husband and daughters told police she had set previous fires, Woodhaven Sgt. Duane Ratliff said. John Tucker, chief of the Detroit arson squad, said John Cartwright, the home owner, did not want to press charges against his wife, so the fire department decided against further investigation. That was typical for incidents involving mentally ill patients and victims who did not want to prosecute, Tucker said. The department's policy has changed in recent years, he said.
Officials seek criminal warrants even if the alleged perpetrator is receiving mental health care.
The fire department is the complainant in cases where family members refuse to press charges. Besides the fires, state mental health and police officials had frequent contact with Cathy Cartwright, according to court files. Doctors said she was laughing frequently for no reason or hearing voices. John Cartwright said his wife was threatening to hurt everyone. A Detroit police officer said Cathy Cartwright said she wanted to kill herself and asked the officer to shoot her.