SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KTLA) — The arsonist convicted of murdering five men who died of heart attacks during the Old Fire was sentenced to death by a judge on Monday.
Rickie Lee Fowler, 31, was convicted last August of five counts of first-degree murder and two counts of arson in connection with the 2003 blaze.
A jury recommended in September that he die by lethal injection.
The fire burned for nine days, charring 91,000 acres in the San Bernardino Mountains and destroying more than 1,000 structures.
Five men died after their homes burned or as they tried to evacuate, and prosecutors blamed the related stress.
Fowler became a suspect in the blaze after witnesses reported seeing a man in a white van tossing burning objects into dry brush.
Investigators interviewed Fowler several months after the fire, but didn’t have enough evidence to file charges until six years later.
Fowler was serving time for burglary when he was charged with starting the Old Fire.
While in prison, he was convicted of sodomizing an inmate and sentenced to three terms of 25 years to life.
Prosecutors argued that Fowler started the blaze out of anger after he was thrown out of a house where his family was staying.
They emphasized his long criminal history, including convictions for burglary, robbery and rape, painting him as a sadistic felon.
Prosecutors also said Fowler gave authorities a note in 2008 acknowledging that he was there when the fire began. He later claimed he was pressured into making a confession.
Defense attorneys maintained that Fowler never acknowledged starting the fire.
They also said that he suffered a horrific childhood with methamphetamine-addicted parents and a neighbor who molested him.
13 Comments to “‘Old Fire’ Arsonist Sentenced to Death”
January 28, 2013 at 12:36 PM
in California, never happen. He will have California Hotel; free no deductible medial and dental. Free clothing. Free room and board. Free internet and library. Free gym. Free satellite. He is living a better life now and this sentence will never happen.
January 28, 2013 at 3:06 PM
A lot of 'em on death row get together on a regular basis to play cards! I read that about Bittacker Bonin and a few others, although they did put Bonin to death,…. after 30 years!!!
January 28, 2013 at 1:50 PM
Death penalty my arse…all that means is years of appeals and costing tax payers money for this waste of cells!
January 28, 2013 at 2:45 PM
White people, pffft!
January 28, 2013 at 4:10 PM
Are you still here you better start showing some respect to the white man. Pablo.
January 28, 2013 at 4:05 PM
This guy just hit the Criminal lotto All expense paid life.
January 28, 2013 at 5:14 PM
"Death", yeah right. We ll be paying for this loser for the rest of our lives
January 28, 2013 at 5:20 PM
Too bad his van did not stall and leave him stranded in the middle of flames, smoke and heat.
January 28, 2013 at 5:46 PM
my co-worker's half-sister makes $63 every hour on the internet. She has been unemployed for nine months but last month her income was $21665 just working on the internet for a few hours. Here's the site to read more http://xurl.es/gwqu1
January 28, 2013 at 9:25 PM
5 men died of heart attacks because of stress from the fire? That seems a bit far fetched. However, I do think this guy should just be burned at the stake so he can feel what all of the helpless animals felt that he burned alive. Oh, and the death penalty in CA goes like this: Housed and fed by taxpayer dollars until he dies of natural causes at a ripe old age. the death penalty.
January 28, 2013 at 10:19 PM
If you think Peter`s story is flabbergasting…, 2 weaks-ago my mum's girl friend basically also made the small fortune of $9581 sitting there a thirteen hour week in their apartment and the're co-worker's half-sister`s neighbour did this for nine months and got a cheque for over $9581 in their spare time on line. the steps from this website ,http://xurl.es/u6xfm
January 28, 2013 at 11:54 PM
Who's peter you idiot?
January 29, 2013 at 12:42 AM
Get 'em hung!!!