A Wednesday afternoon house fire on Empress Lane has led to involuntary manslaughter charges for a Fayetteville man after his mother died from her injuries. The blaze broke out in the 1700 block of Empress Lane, where firefighters found the woman suffering from fire-related injuries. She was taken to a hospital and later died, authorities said.
First responders were called at about 2:34 p.m., and crews arrived to find flames coming from the home, according to ABC11. The Fayetteville Fire Department and Police Department opened a joint investigation that was later taken over by detectives with the Police Department's Homicide Unit. Police identified the victim as 63-year-old Jamey Ruth Smith and said her son, 41-year-old Maurice Anthony Briscoe Jr., was inside the house when the fire started.
Documents point to pipe near back porch
Public records and charging documents state that Briscoe told officers he had been smoking methamphetamine from a glass pipe on the back porch before setting the pipe down and falling asleep upstairs, according to WRAL. Investigators wrote that firefighters later found a glass pipe next to the back porch and that witnesses reported the fire began outside near the rear porch. WRAL reported that during interviews, Briscoe "made several spontaneous utterances that it was his fault."
Legal implications
Briscoe is charged with involuntary manslaughter, which North Carolina law classifies as a Class F felony under N.C. General Statutes § 14-18. Sentencing would depend on the state's structured-sentencing ranges. He is being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center on a $25,000 secured bond, according to ABC11. Further court dates had not been listed in police accounts as of the latest reports.
Investigation ongoing
Detectives said their investigation concluded that Briscoe's actions resulted in the fire but did not immediately release a full cause-and-origin report as the case remains open, per WRAL. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and that additional details may be released as detectives complete their work.
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