South Jersey Man Gets 11 Years After Mother And Her Companion Killed In Fire

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — The man found guilty of starting a fire that killed his elderly mother and her companion was sentenced to 11 years in prison, officials say.

Kurt Smith, 63, of Browns Mills was convicted in 2021 of two counts of reckless manslaughter in causing the death of his mother and her companion in a 2018 house fire.

A Burlington County judge sentenced Smith to 11 years on each count, to run concurrently, according to the county prosecutor's office.

Smith's mother, 92-year-old Lore Smith, was killed in the fire on Oct. 16, 2018. Her companion, 92-year-old George Pikunis, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Smith was in the garage at about 8:30 p.m. that night, when he recklessly lit a flammable material with a cigarette lighter, according to authorities.

He unsuccessfully tried to extinguish the blaze, which quickly spread once the garage door was opened, authorities said.

A jury was unable to come to a verdict on an arson charge against him.