BALTIMORE — A Baltimore judge declared a mistrial on Tuesday in the high-profile case against James Barnett, the man accused of sparking the 2022 Stricker Street fire that claimed the lives of three Baltimore City firefighters.
The decision came after the jury informed the court they were hopelessly deadlocked. Despite five days of deliberations and a previous judicial instruction to continue working toward a consensus, the panel remained unable to reach a unanimous verdict on any of the nine criminal counts against the 58-year-old defendant.
“We have reviewed the evidence again and we remain split,” the jury stated in a note to the court. “We are unable to reach a unanimous decision based on the evidence presented.”
Barnett was on trial for the January 23, 2022, blaze at 205 S. Stricker St., which resulted in the deaths of Lt. Paul Butrim, Lt. Kelsey Sadler, and EMT/Firefighter Kenny Lacayo, and left a fourth firefighter seriously injured. The jury had been tasked with weighing charges of second-degree arson, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless endangerment.
The mistrial marks a somber turn in a case that has deeply affected the city’s fire department and the victims’ families. Following the declaration, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates expressed deep disappointment but vowed to persist in seeking legal recourse.
“Today’s outcome is deeply disappointing for the families of Lt. Paul Butrim, Lt. Kelsey Sadler, and EMT/Firefighter Kenny Lacayo,” Bates said in a statement. “While this is not the outcome we sought, our commitment to these families and to pursuing justice has not changed.”
The road to this week’s deadlock was complicated by significant legal developments. Just prior to the jury’s final deliberations, the judge granted a defense motion to dismiss three counts of second-degree murder, ruling that the state had failed to provide sufficient evidence to meet the legal threshold for “depraved heart” murder. The judge, however, allowed the remaining charges of arson, manslaughter, and reckless endangerment to move forward, deeming the evidence sufficient for potential conviction on those counts.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution relied on surveillance footage and analysis from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Prosecutors argued that video evidence showed Barnett applying flames to the vacant rowhome four separate times, insisting there was “no doubt” his actions led to the structure’s collapse.
The defense aggressively contested the identity of the person in the footage. They pointed to inconsistencies regarding the suspect’s clothing, arguing that Barnett’s coat was blue and brown, while the individual in the surveillance video wore a blue and yellow garment. Defense attorneys further characterized the ATF’s testing as flawed, asserting that no fire resulted from the flashes seen on the video and that Barnett was never a party to the incident.
As the legal proceedings reset, the State’s Attorney’s office is now tasked with evaluating the next steps in a case that remains an open wound for the Baltimore community.
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