Man sentenced to life in prison for intentionally setting deadly Galveston fire over drug debt

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man will spend life in prison after he was convicted of intentionally setting a fire that killed a woman because her son owed a debt, according to authorities.

On Monday, a Galveston County jury convicted Courtney Thompson Jr. of capital murder for the death of Renita Hawthorne.

The video above is from a previous report.

In February 2024, multiple Galveston emergency crews responded to a house fire on the 700 block of 39th Street, with four residents trapped inside. Firefighters were able to rescue at least three residents, including two children, but Hawthorne died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

A jail informant later testified that Thompson admitted to starting the fire in retaliation for Hawthorne's son owing a drug debt.

Prosecutors said the informant decided to turn Thompson in because he didn't like that he kept bragging about killing an innocent woman.

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