Teens could get life in tenn. wildfire


Teens could get life in tenn. wildfire

16 Deceember 2016

published by http://www.newser.com


USA —  Everything, including murder charges that could bring a sentence of life in prison, is “on the table” for two teenagers accused of starting a devastating wildfire in Tennessee, prosecutors warn. The pair, whose names and ages have not been publicly released, were charged with aggravated arson earlier this month and are in juvenile detention. Authorities say a firestorm that began with a blaze the teens allegedly started in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Nov. 23 ended up killing 14 people, injuring another 175, destroying more than 2,000 homes and other structures, and scorching around 20,000 acres of the park. It’s not clear whether prosecutors plan to try the teens as adults.

CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos says the teens could be tried for first-degree murder even if they weren’t planning to kill anybody, because Tennessee law allows the charges “killing of another committed in the perpetration of or attempt to perpetrate” offenses including arson. Sources tell the Knoxville News Sentinel that the boys are 17 and 15 years old, making it possible that both could be tried as adults. The sources say the boys were tossing lit matches onto the ground around the Chimney Tops Trail, and they were tracked down with the help of a photo another hiker took of the boys walking away from the trail with smoke in the background.


Print Friendly, PDF & Email
WP-Backgrounds Lite by InoPlugs Web Design and Juwelier Schönmann 1010 Wien