Trial to start for sailor accused of igniting Navy warship [View all]

Source: Associated Press

Trial to start for sailor accused of igniting Navy warship

By JULIE WATSON
September 19, 2022

SAN DIEGO (AP) — According to prosecutors, Ryan Sawyer Mays was a young, arrogant sailor angry about being assigned to deck duty after failing to become a Navy SEAL — and he made the Navy pay in a big way.

But the prosecution has presented no physical evidence proving that Mays, 21, set the USS Bonhomme Richard on fire, a fact defense lawyers plan to highlight at the sailor’s court martial that is scheduled to start Monday at Naval Base San Diego.

The July 2020 blaze burned for nearly five days and sent an acrid smoke over San Diego, damaging the amphibious assault ship so badly that it had to be scuttled. It marked one of the worst noncombat warship disasters in recent memory.

Mays is charged with aggravated arson and the willful hazarding of a vessel. He has denied any wrongdoing.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/fires-navy-san-diego-arson-cdd1d51f602b3b678d00b728156441a9