'Fire Selfie' Arsonist Pleads Guilty, Faces Four Life Sentences

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ANNAPOLIS, MD — A Pasadena man who burned down a home in revenge over a love triangle – and then returned to the scene to take a selfie in front of the charred debris – pleaded guilty Tuesday to 26 criminal charges.

Anne Arundel County prosecutors said Justin Michael Clum, 26, of Pasadena, accused of intentionally setting fire to a house on Wendover Road in Glen Burnie in July, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and arson, among other crimes.

Police say Clum set the fire on the front porch of the Sandra and Brian Deal home to punish a man they rented a room to, whom Clum believed was involved with his girlfriend. The couple and their teenage daughter escaped the blaze unharmed, but lost everything.

The charges Clum pleaded guilty to are:

• 4 counts of attempted first-degree murder
• 4 counts of attempted second-degree murder
• 2 counts of first-degree arson
• 1 count of second-degree arson
• 4 counts of first-degree assault
• 4 counts of second-degree assault
• 4 counts of reckless endangerment
• 1 count of malicious burning
• 1 count of malicious destruction of property

Clum has previous criminal convictions including theft, drug charges, and malicious destruction of property.

A protective order was filed against Clum stemming from a domestic violence incident about a month after the fire where he threatened to kill his girlfriend and burn down her family’s home.

“This repeat offender is an obvious threat to the community,” said Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Wes Adams. “In his attempt to kill an intended victim, this man almost killed another man, woman and child, and destroyed a home in the process. Fortunately, they were able to escape with their lives.”

Clum is being held on $1 million bond at the Jennifer Road Detention Center in Annapolis.

Following his arrest, police say that Clum threatened a key witness in an attempt to prevent her from talking to authorities and told witnesses that his “intent was to kill” his victim by setting fire to the victim’s family’s house.

Clum is facing four life sentences for the attempted first-degree murder charges and 30 years for first-degree arson. Sentencing is set for 9 a.m. on March 21.

»Photo of Justin Clum of Pasadena, from WBAL screenshot