Man sentenced after killing pets in starting Connersville house fire

INDIANAPOLIS — An Alabama man will spend nearly five years in federal prison after he was found guilty of setting his father's home on fire and killing multiple pets.

Tommy Harrison Sr., 34, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to crossing state lines to commit arson.

According to court documents, Harrison drove from Birmingham, Alabama to Connersville with intent to set his father's house on fire.

At 1:40 a.m. on October 29, 2021, Harrison arrived at the house and used gasoline to light the inside and outside of the house on fire.

A cat and dog were killed in the blaze.

“This defendant’s actions had a devastating impact not only on the immediate victims, but on the community of Connersville as well. His actions uprooted a family, destroyed their peace of mind, and shook the small town in which his father was a prominent community leader,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Crossing state lines to commit a violent crime is a serious offense that merits a serious federal prison sentence. Thanks to the talents and persistence of investigators at the FBI, the Indiana Fire Marshal’s Office, and our federal prosecutor, this arsonist was successfully identified and held accountable.”

Harrison also defaced the property with a racial slur.

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