Jury Doesn't Buy Arsonist's Story Behind Loganville House Fire

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A Gwinnett County jury didn’t believe the defendant’s story and convicted him for burning a Loganville house to the ground in 2013 and then making up a story to explain what happened.

According to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, Jonathan Clint Smith was found guilty of first-degree arson, aggravated cruelty to animals (two counts), false report of a crime and multiple counts of theft by taking and theft by receiving for incidents surrounding a house fire at 4255 Peace Pace Place in late January of 2013. The house, which was owned by Smith’s live-in girlfriend, burned to the ground, and three cats were killed.

Prosecutors said the case began two days before the fire, when police were first called to the house on Jan. 29, 2013 on a burglary call made by Smith. He told police that someone broke in, trashed the place, and stole numerous items including a large flat screen TV.

“Smith claimed that the perpetrator had moved the family dog, Kiki, upstairs and locked him inside a bonus room,” Chief Assistant District Attorney Dan W. Mayfield said in the news release. “The jury saw photos showing large pieces of furniture overturned and slashed in a violent manner. Neighbors testified that this was a shocking event in their quiet subdivision, and some gave the Defendant a shotgun and a handgun for protection in case the assailant returned.”

Two days later, Smith called 911 again, this time to report the fire. His explanation, according to prosecutors:

“Smith claimed that before the fire, he was at home alone when he found a heavyset white female with a gas can and a tall black male inside the garage, asking for gas. Smith claimed that when the male tried to get inside, Kiki started barking and the male threatened to put the dog up ‘like he did two days ago.’ Smith said that he ran upstairs for the guns, called 911, and fired the shotgun at the male in the house and then chased him with the handgun outside to a white Ford Explorer. Smith fired shots at the Explorer as it fled the neighborhood, and discovered that the house was on fire.”

Prosecutors poked holes in inconsistencies in Smith’s story, including the number of perpetrators, which door they ran out of and where he fired shots. Witnesses testified they never saw a white Ford Explorer or the people described by Smith. One neighbor who lives near the entrance to the subdivision testified he was outside and never saw an Explorer enter or leave. Prosecutors also questioned whether a stranger would be able to move Kiki the dog, considering the dog was aggressive toward strangers.

Finally, pawn records showed Smith had pawned a number of items before Jan. 31 that he claimed were destroyed in the fire.

“Most telling, Smith pawned the big screen television on January 29, 2013 - the same day he claimed it was stolen in an alleged burglary,” Mayfield said in the news release.

The jury deliberated about 30 minutes to reach a verdict. Sentencing is scheduled for a later date.