A man pleads not guilty to setting fire to Mississippi synagogue
[January 21, 2026]
By SOPHIE BATES
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The man accused of setting fire to a Mississippi
synagogue pleaded not guilty to a federal arson charge on Tuesday.
The fire badly damaged the Beth Israel Congregation, a historic
synagogue that was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967 for the
congregation's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. No one was
injured in the blaze, which ripped through the building shortly after 3
a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10.
During the hearing, Magistrate Judge LaKeysha Greer Isaac denied bond
for Stephen Spencer Pittman, ruling that he should be held in the
custody of the U.S. Marshals Service through the duration of his trial.
The 19-year-old suspect appeared in court with both of his hands and
ankles bandaged from burn wounds and a Bible sitting in front of him.
The courtroom was packed with spectators, including several members of
the Beth Israel Congregation.
The prosecutor, Matthew Wade Allen, argued Pittman should not receive
bond because there is a serious risk he will obstruct justice or
threaten, injure or intimidate a witness or juror, such as his parents
and members of the Beth Israel Congregation.
FBI Special Agent Ariel Williams testified that Pittman's parents said
they noticed behavior changes in their son since he returned home on
winter break. Pittman's mother told the FBI their family pets were
afraid of her son and that she considered locking her bedroom door at
night out of fear of his behavior, Williams said.
Williams also testified that Pittman's father told the FBI about an
incident where Pittman “bowed up” in his father's face, after his father
had attempted to correct him for saying something offensive to Pittman's
mother.
Leading up to the synagogue fire, several witness, including Pittman's
parents, told the FBI they heard Pittman make antisemitic comments and
members of Pittman's gym heard him say he wanted to burn a synagogue,
Williams said.
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This photo provided by Beth Israel Congregation shows damage
sustained during a fire, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at Beth Israel
Congregation, in Jackson, Miss. (Beth Israel Congregation via AP)
Mike Scott, Pittman's public defender, argued Pittman did not pose a
danger to the community. He also said Pittman suffered third-degree
burns and incarcerating Pittman could pose a risk to his health.
Scott did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Pittman confessed to lighting a fire inside the building, referring
to it as “the synagogue of Satan,” according to an FBI affidavit
filed in U.S. District Court.
Pittman is charged with maliciously damaging or destroying a
building by means of fire or an explosive. He has also been indicted
on a state charge of willfully and maliciously setting fire to a
synagogue. The indictment includes a sentencing enhancement for a
hate crime.
Pittman faces five to 20 years in prison for the federal charge. The
state charge carries a sentence of 5 to 30 years in prison, with the
possibility of up to 60 years if he is found to have committed a
hate crime.
The judge set Pittman's trial for Feb. 23.
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