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Man Accused of Setting Forest Fire Faces 5 Murder Charges in Heart-Attack Deaths

Posted Oct 23, 2009, 12:49 pm CST
By Martha Neil

A California man accused of setting a massive 2003 forest fire by throwing a lighted road flare from his vehicle in the San Bernadino Mountains has also been charged with first-degree murder concerning the deaths of five men who suffered heart attacks allegedly brought about by the stress of fleeing the flames.

All five suffered from heart disease and died within hours or days of the fire. So the prosecution has filed felony-murder charges against Rickie Lee Fowler, 28, on the theory that the deaths occurred during the commission of a felony, reports the Associated Press. If convicted in the San Bernadino County case, Fowler could potentially face the death penalty.

Fowler has not yet appeared in… Continue reading...



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