One of three teens charged with starting a house fire in Denver that killed five members of a Senegalese family has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.

One of three teenagers charged with starting a Denver house fire that killed five people — apparently out of revenge for a stolen cellphone that was mistakenly traced to the home — was sentenced Friday to 40 years in prison.

Gavin Seymour, 19, pleaded guilty in January to one count of second-degree murder for his role in the Aug. 5, 2020, fire that killed five members of a Senegalese family. Denver District Court Judge Karen Brody sentenced him to the maximum possible term he faced, The Denver Post reported.

“This is a tragedy that is, I’m sure for everyone involved, incomprehensible,” Brody said. “There was a loss of the most innocent of lives.”

Seymour and two other teenagers — Kevin Bui and Dillon Siebert — were charged with setting the fire in the middle of the night, killing family members Djibril Diol, 29; Adja Diol, 23; Khadija Diol, 1; Hassan Diol, 25; and 6-month-old Hawa Baye. Three other people escaped by jumping from the second floor of the home.

    • lad@programming.dev
      142·
      8 months ago

      I’m not sure if it is. That’s most likely going be a retribution rather than correction, so the society is unlikely to become better as a result. But that’s a complicated matter, truly

          • tsonfeir@lemm.ee
            11·
            8 months ago

            I agree that the US prison system doesn’t rehabilitate, when it should. However, in the case where a person commits a multiple homicide and arson over the possibility their phone might be at a location, they should not see the light of day again.