A Franklinton man faces up to 100 years in prison after a Washington Parish jury convicted him of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated arson.
Mardeontae Lee was caught on surveillance video pouring gasoline around a Franklinton home in June 2020. According to police, the homeowner, her daughter, and her great-grandson were inside the house when Lee poured the gas around the home’s foundation. Police also said they found a smoldering piece of paper around a small patch of burned grass when they arrived.
Police went to the scene after a neighbor called them to report Lee and another man pouring the gas around the house.
Investigators said Lee admitted to the crime, saying that he did it because he was “bored.” Investigators added that Lee later claimed that he was ordered by the leader of his gang to burn down the house because the gang had been paid to commit the crime. Lee also told investigators that he didn’t want to commit the arson, which is why he poured the gas on concrete areas that he knew wouldn’t catch fire.
According to police, the arson was in retaliation for a murder that had happened earlier that month. Prosecutors say the owner of the home was the mother of the man who allegedly committed that murder. That man was in jail at the time of the arson.
Lee will be sentenced on April 24.
