Jurors in the federal trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, accused of starting the Palisades Fire in California in 2025, reported to a judge on Thursday that they were deadlocked after initially stating they had reached a verdict. This announcement occurred on the second day of deliberations following a 10-day trial. The Palisades Fire is noted as the most destructive in Los Angeles County's history, resulting in at least a dozen fatalities.
A note from the jury foreman initially indicated a verdict had been reached, but a subsequent note stated the opposite, expressing that the jury was at a standstill and unsure how to proceed. The judge inquired if additional instructions or rereading testimony could assist the jury, to which they responded that nothing could help them reach a unanimous verdict.
Both the prosecution and defense acknowledged the need for more time to explore legal options after the jury's update. The judge instructed the jurors to return for further deliberations at 9 a.m. on Friday. A deadlocked jury could lead to a mistrial, prompting federal prosecutors to decide on whether to retry Rinderknecht, who faces charges including destruction of property by means of fire and arson affecting property used in interstate commerce. Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors allege that Rinderknecht was motivated by anger and a desire for revenge against the wealthy when he allegedly ignited the fire. The blaze began shortly after midnight on January 1, 2025, in a brush-heavy area of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, initially referred to as the Lachman Fire. Firefighters believed they had extinguished the blaze, but it later reignited due to strong winds and severe drought conditions, ultimately leading to the Palisades Fire, which burned over 23,000 acres and destroyed approximately 6,800 structures. The prosecution argued that Rinderknecht held a belief that the wealthy were harming the world, while the defense contended that there was no physical evidence linking him to the fires and maintained that the Lachman and Palisades fires were unrelated events.