Overview
- Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, entered a not-guilty plea to a federal arson charge tied to the Jan. 10 fire at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson.
- Magistrate Judge LaKeysha Greer Isaac ordered him held by the U.S. Marshals Service and scheduled a Feb. 23 trial date.
- An FBI affidavit says Pittman confessed and called the site “the synagogue of Satan,” with witnesses, including his parents and gym members, reporting antisemitic remarks and statements that he wanted to burn a synagogue.
- He appeared in court with bandaged burn injuries; the federal charge carries five to 20 years, and the state arson count could reach up to 60 years with a hate-crime enhancement.
- Investigators from the FBI, ATF, and local agencies continue the probe as the congregation reports no injuries, resumes services with borrowed space and a loaned Torah, and notes its history of a 1967 KKK bombing.