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Warren man found guilty of arson, animal torture in house fire of girlfriend’s home

The fire destroyed the home and killed two cats

Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido announced that 30-year-old Jesse Humphrey was convicted by a jury on all charges related to starting a fire at his girlfriend’s home in Warren in September 2024. The fire destroyed the home and killed her two cats. (Macomb County Prosecutor's Office)

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido announced that 30-year-old Jesse Humphrey was convicted by a jury on all charges related to starting a fire at his girlfriend’s home in Warren in September 2024.

The fire destroyed the home and killed her two cats.

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Humphrey’s girlfriend was not home at the time, but he knew the cats were inside when he set the fire, according to court documents.

After a five-day jury trial, Humphrey was convicted on Oct. 22, 2025, of the following charges:

  • Two counts of second-degree arson, each carrying a 20-year felony sentence
  • Two counts of first-degree killing/torturing of animals, each a 10-year felony

Humphrey was remanded to custody to await sentencing, which is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at 8:30 a.m.

Originally, Humphrey faced two counts of second-degree arson and one count of third-degree killing of animals, a four-year felony.

Following the preliminary examination and legal filings, the judge moved to amend the animal-killing charge to the enhanced first-degree killing/torturing of animals and secured an additional count for the second cat.


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