A fatal inferno that tore through a Galveston residence last month, claiming the life of Renita Hawthorne, 55, and injuring five others, may have been sparked by a drug debt feud, according to court documents. Courtney Allen Thompson, 20, stands accused of setting the deadly blaze as retribution for an unpaid marijuana tab owed by Hawthorne's son, records show.
Hawthorne, a mother of six, perished while attempting to lead others to safety during the early morning fire on February 29. The flames engulfed her home located in the 700 block of 39th Street, as reported by The Houston Chronicle. Three individuals managed to escape the fiery scene, with two firefighters among those subsequently hospitalized.
Thompson was hit with capital murder and three counts of aggravated assault in the wake of devastation. A son of Hawthorne reportedly began receiving threatening texts from someone claiming to have started the fire because of the unresolved debt. Galveston Police Department's investigation led to Thompson through a series of videos submitted by informants, placing him at the scene procuring gas cans and fuel the day prior to the tragedy.
"Tell (him) we burned down his mama's house," read one of the chilling texts sent to Hawthorne's son's girlfriend, under two hours after the house was set ablaze, according to a statement obtained by ABC13. Thompson, known to locals for frequently carrying a retractable lighter, allegedly initiated the fire at two sets of stairs leading into the home, effectively trapping the inhabitants inside.
As of the latest reports, Thompson was taken into custody last Friday and remains at the Galveston County Jail, his bond set at a combined $1 million. While two other individuals were named in connection with the threats and the purchase of gas, neither has faced charges related to the fire as of Tuesday, per Galveston County court records. Thompson's legal representation had not been listed by Tuesday afternoon.
