DECATUR, Ga. (AP) – A DeKalb County woman has been sentenced to serve life in prison plus 20 years after she was convicted of arson in a fatal apartment fire.
Jasmine Lashae Lockett, who is 26, was convicted last week of arson, felony murder, aggravated assault and criminal damage to property. Prosecutors say Lockett set the Oct. 21 blaze that killed 37-year-old Tony Hubert. Lockett will be eligible for parole.
Lockett and Melvin Wayne Griffin III were both indicted, but prosecutors said Lockett actually started the fire. Griffin, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, is serving five years in prison.
Hubert was found dead in his second-story apartment after he helped his family escape the flames that began in the hallway outside the apartment’s only door.