A man pleads not guilty to setting fire to Mississippi synagogue

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The man accused of setting fire to a Mississippi synagogue pleaded not guilty to a federal arson charge on Tuesday.

The fire badly damaged the Beth Israel Congregation, a historic synagogue that was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967 for the congregation’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. No one was injured in the blaze, which ripped through the building shortly after 3 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10.

During the hearing, Magistrate Judge LaKeysha Greer Isaac denied bond for Stephen Spencer Pittman, ruling that he should be held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service through the duration of his trial.

The 19-year-old suspect appeared in court with both of his hands and ankles bandaged from burn wounds and a Bible sitting in front of him. The courtroom was packed with spectators, including several members of the Beth Israel Congregation.

The prosecutor, Matthew Wade Allen, argued Pittman should not receive bond because there is a serious risk he will obstruct justice or threaten, injure or intimidate a witness or juror, such as his parents and members of the Beth Israel Congregation.

FBI Special Agent Ariel Williams testified that Pittman’s parents said they noticed behavior changes in their son since he returned home on winter break. Pittman’s mother told the FBI their family pets were afraid of her son and that she considered locking her bedroom door at night out of fear of his behavior, Williams said.

Williams also testified that Pittman’s father told the FBI about an incident where Pittman “bowed up” in his father’s face, after his father had attempted to correct him for saying something offensive to Pittman’s mother.

Leading up to the synagogue fire, several witness, including Pittman’s parents, told the FBI they heard Pittman make antisemitic comments and members of Pittman’s gym heard him say he wanted to burn a synagogue, Williams said.

Mike Scott, Pittman’s public defender, argued Pittman did not pose a danger to the community. He also said Pittman suffered third-degree burns and incarcerating Pittman could pose a risk to his health.

Scott did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Pittman confessed to lighting a fire inside the building, referring to it as “the synagogue of Satan,” according to an FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court.

Pittman is charged with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or an explosive. He has also been indicted on a state charge of willfully and maliciously setting fire to a synagogue. The indictment includes a sentencing enhancement for a hate crime.

Pittman faces five to 20 years in prison for the federal charge. The state charge carries a sentence of 5 to 30 years in prison, with the possibility of up to 60 years if he is found to have committed a hate crime.

The judge set Pittman’s trial for Feb. 23.