THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 

              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.



DATE: Saturday, August 31, 1996             TAG: 9608310418

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 

DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   34 lines

WOMAN FOUND IN FIRE HAD THROAT CUT, TV REPORT SAYS

When firefighters discovered the body of a woman in her burned-out home, they found her hands bound and her throat slashed, a television station has reported.

Richmond police declined to comment early today on the WTVR-TV report.

The bodies of Cynthia Johnson and her 7-year-old daughter, Heather, were found in the home early Thursday morning. Johnson's body was found in a family room behind the carport. Heather's body was found in a bedroom near the front door of the brick ranch in south Richmond.

``We are investigating this as a double homicide,'' said Brenda Hughes, a police spokeswoman. She said the bodies were sent to the state medical examiner's office to determine a cause of death.

Fire Capt. Don Horton said the blaze was set deliberately.

``We have determined that there were at least seven different fires set in the house,'' he said. The fire was reported about 3:30 a.m.

``I don't know how anybody would hold something against'' Johnson, said Carroll Lewis, who lives across the street. ``She was a real sweet, nice lady.''

The house, with a swing set and toy donkey in the back yard, is in a quiet middle-class subdivision of mostly brick homes.

Lewis said he and his wife, Thelma, often bought candy that Heather was selling for her church.

``She was so sweet, well-mannered, behaved,'' Thelma Lewis said.

KEYWORDS: FIRE ARSON MURDER by CNB