Officials: Louisiana man found guilty of attempting to burn family alive in 2020

FRANKLINTON, La. — A man is facing up to 100 years in prison without parole after he was found guilty of trying to burn a woman’s house with three people inside in Louisiana.

>> Read more trending news

In a news release, District Attorney Warren Montgomery on Thursday, a jury found Mardeontae Lee, 25, guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and a count of aggravated arson.

In June 2020, a woman called the Franklinton Police Department after she saw two strangers pouring gasoline around her outside. She was at home with her daughter and great-grandson at the time, the District Attorney’s Office said.

By the time police arrived, the three people left the house. Once on scene, an officer reported a small fire at the house, according to WGNO. Officers also found a small piece of paper that was burned by some grass close by.

The news outlet reported that some security footage showed two men pouring the gasoline. One of the two men was reportedly a minor. The minor was interviewed by police and he identified the other man as Lee.

The teen reportedly told police he went with Lee because was “bored,” according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Lee was arrested and in his interview with police, Lee denied involvement at first but once investigators asked for a DNA sample, Lee wanted to change his story, according to WGNO.

Lee reportedly told investigators that the incident was a retaliation for a murder that happened last June, according to the news outlet. The woman who called the police was the mother of a man who allegedly killed someone. That man was in custody for the murder charge.

During Lee’s trial, both victims testified, “to the sheer terror they experienced, believing they were about to be burned alive in their own home,” the District Attorney’s Office said.

“You will send a message with your verdict — in Washington Parish, we will not tolerate this behavior and we will hold you responsible for your actions,” Assistant District Attorney Jason Cuccia told the jury in the closing argument, according to the news release.

The District Attorney’s Office said Lee could face up to 100 years in prison without parole or probation. Lee is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24.