Sep 6, 2007 8:37 pm US/Central
Woman Accused In Deadly Fire Unfit To Stand Trial
CHICAGO (AP) ―
A homeless woman accused of setting a North Side apartment fire that killed four people was found mentally unfit to stand trial Thursday.
Cook County Judge Charles Burns ruled that Mary Smith was unfit for trial after hearing from a psychiatrist who interviewed her and remanded the 43-year-old to the custody of the state Department of Human Services.
Dr. Peter Lourgos, who evaluated Smith on July 25, testified that she was incapable of giving a coherent account of the events leading to her arrest.
"Her thoughts were illogical, disorganized and didn't come in a logical order," Lourgos said. "She seemed paranoid."
Smith is taking an anti-psychotic drug and could be found fit for trial within a year with the right treatment, he said.
Smith has been held without bond on multiple counts of first-degree murder and aggravated arson. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Burns will evaluate Smith's progress at a hearing on Oct. 9, according to Andy Conklin, spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office.
Prosecutors have said Smith gave a videotaped statement in which she admitted starting the blaze by lighting a dollar bill an apartment visitor had given her in an attempt to warm her feet. Smith, who was wearing plastic bags on her feet when she was arrested, told police she had earlier lost her shoes.
The victims of the fire were: Jennifer Carlson, 24; Jason Bowers, 24; Jerod Pilgreen, 21; and Joseph Schultz, 24. All four originally were from Belvidere, Ill.
Smith has been arrested for at least ten misdemeanor charges since 2003, court records show.
Families of the four victims have filed wrongful death lawsuits against the building's owner and managers, alleging the building's doors didn't lock properly.
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