2003 Old fire arsonist sentenced to death

[struggle4progress]

Source: LA Times

A judge says there is 'no lingering doubt' violent felon Rickie Lee Fowler set the 2003 Old fire that destroyed more than 1,000 homes and killed five people.

By Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times
January 29, 2013

A judge handed a death sentence Monday to the violent felon convicted of setting the 2003 Old fire that destroyed more than 1,000 homes, charred the northwestern face of the San Bernardino Mountains and killed five people.

His eyes fixed on the judge, Rickie Lee Fowler, 31, didn't show a twitch of emotion as the sentence was announced in a San Bernardino courtroom. Fowler, a methamphetamine user since grammar school, already is serving three life terms for brutally sodomizing a cellmate in county jail.

Judge Michael A. Smith called the evidence against Fowler overwhelming, saying there is "no lingering doubt" that he set the deadly wildfire in a rage over being booted from his godfather's home at the top of Waterman Canyon. Smith told the defendant that, despite his horrendous upbringing by an abusive, drug-addicted mother, his lifelong history of violence and crime entitled him to little mercy.

"Rickie Fowler should be put to death,'' as a jury had recommended, Smith told the court ...

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-old-fire-sentencing-20130129,0,7059602.story

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-old-fire-sentencing-20130129,0,7059602.story

[XemaSab]

1. Wow

[AngryAmish]

2. Did this guy grow up with Jesus?

[panzerfaust]

3. Sadly, no matter how one gets rabies, there is no escaping being rabid

[Lesmoderesstupides]

4. Yet we still claim to be a civilized nation while we still murder our own via the judicial system

If the Government is going to murder its citizens at least do it publically and in the open like Saudi Arabia another civilized nation.

This guy needs help, lots of help and he should be getting the treatment he needs but instead our Government kills those they deems unworthy of help.

[Gregorian]

5. I always appreciate thoughtful posts like yours. Thanks.

It seems that forgiveness and empathy are considered weak and unrealistic.

There is no doubt at all that this person endured abuse as a child. That's where all of this comes from. Always. Even the word "abuse" is misunderstood. We can make a better world. Jail and punishment are not going to produce that world.

[geek tragedy]

7. Some people are broken in a way that can't be fixed.

This guy, best we can do for him is life in prison, solitary confinement.

[a la izquierda]

6. I remember this fire like it was

yesterday. I lived in Glendale at the time, and woke up daily with ash totally covering the cars. Flying out of LAX was a real treat, as the turbulence was pretty bad for thermals