Death penalty sought for man accused of setting deadly 2003 wildfire
The man accused of deliberately setting the deadly 2003 firestorm in San Bernardino that destroyed 1,000 homes will face the death penalty if convicted.
Rickie Lee Fowler, 28, who has been in state prison since 2003 for burglary, was charged in October with five counts of murder as well as arson and aggravated arson.
“A decision to seek the death penalty in a case is never an easy one. In fact, it’s the most difficult one we make as prosecutors. We never take that responsibility lightly," San Bernardino District Atty. Michael Ramos said in a statement last week. "As in all matters, we look very closely at the facts of each case and make a determination based on the factors of aggravation and mitigation as provided by law.”
The 91,000-acre wildfire broke out Oct. 25, 2003, at Old Waterman Canyon Road and California 18 in the San Bernardino Mountains. It quickly raced through the forest and brush, forcing the evacuation of more than 30 communities and 80,000 people. Six men died of heart attacks, and investigators said five of those deaths were directly related to the stress of the fire.
On Christmas Day of that year, a huge mudslide caused by intense rain swept through a church camp in Waterman Canyon, killing 14 people.
No motive for the arson has been disclosed.
-- Shelby Grad
More breaking news in L.A. Now:
Crews work to clear closed roads to Big Bear of snow and ice
School district gets heat for banning dictionary over 'oral sex' definition. What do you think?
Actually his motive has been widely reported and makes this crime even more difficult to comprehend: he was trying to burn a house where a bad Meth deal went down. Didn't burn down that house, but lots of others. Plenty of folks in the mountain communities would be happy to see him burn as well.
Posted by: Tom | January 25, 2010 at 09:59 AM
The death penalty?!? Only if the guy is found guilty of intent to murder. Was he trying to kill people or did he just not think about the potential consequences of his stupidity? People shouldn't be executed for being stupid, for being evil maybe, but not for being stupid.
Posted by: Islander | January 25, 2010 at 10:15 AM
That means he'll be executed 40 years from now, what a tragedy.
Posted by: Wain | January 25, 2010 at 10:21 AM
To Islander:
Yes, he was trying to kill people. He knew the house he tried to burn down was occupied. That was the point, to kill the guy he felt had ripped him off. So his attempt to kill people was not only intentional, but premeditated.
Death penalty.
Which will be a lot more humane that what my neighbors would like to do to him.
Posted by: Tom | January 25, 2010 at 01:15 PM