Florida man sentenced to life in prison after setting woman on fire in 2017
Volusia County State Attorney says, 'This murder was the act of a depraved and vicious man. His cruelty knows no bounds.'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Volusia County, Florida jury found a man guilty of murder and arson on Thursday, for the 2017 killing of a woman he set on fire.
Bernard Thomas was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence for first-degree murder and consecutive 30-year sentences for first-degree arson of a dwelling and first-degree arson of a vehicle.
A jury in Volusia County, Florida convicted a man of first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree arson for setting a woman on fire in 2017. (Volusia County Corrections)
The Volusia County State Attorney R.J. Larizza’s office said in a release that on Aug. 27, 2017, Tracy Adams ran inside of her Deland, Florida, home screaming, "Bernard tried to kill [me]" to her children.
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Adams was on fire as she ran, and when investigators arrived on the scene, they found her car was engulfed with flames spreading to the roof of her home.
A further investigation discovered that a bottle recovered as evidence at the scene was filled with gasoline and thrown at Adams as she sat in her car.
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As a result, she suffered serious burns, was shot in the shoulder, and died of complications from the burns weeks later.
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Thomas lived on the property in a gazebo for about a year, the release read, and was a close friend of her family.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The investigation into the incident included cell phone tower mapping, which ultimately place Thomas at the crime scene.
His call log also showed more than 30 calls to Adams in a seven-day period, according to the release, though none were made to her after she was set on fire and sent to the hospital.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Thomas fled the county and was eventually arrested and charged for his crimes.
"The brutal nature of this crime shocks me," Larizza said. "This murder was the act of a depraved and vicious man. His cruelty knows no bounds."