South Carolina Teen Cried in Court After Causing Intentional Fire That Led to His 14-Month-Old Stepbrother’s Death

A 17-year-old teen, Jacob Matthew Morgan, was accused of the murder of his 14-month-old stepbrother. After hearing his sentence in court, the South Carolina teenager broke down in court, garnering national attention for his crime. A court convicted him in 2015, which led to his sentencing in 2016 after causing an intentional fire that led to the death of his baby brother.

He served half of his 15-year sentence and was released from South Carolina prison in 2022 when he turned 24. Even today, the case is widely talked about over the contradictory statement from the brother and the proof gathered on the day of the incident.

The debate about his mental health and the guilt he felt after the incident remains fresh. Morgan suffered from bipolar disorder, oppositional defiance disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. His parents left him at home to take care of his baby brother on the morning of the incident. Many came to the teen’s rescue, claiming he had no malicious intent towards his brother and did not deserve to go to jail.

Morgan’s neighbors defended him and said he did not set the fire intentionally and was crying when he could not go to save his brother. He did have a fascination with fires, but would not murder his brother intentionally. There was also a petition on Change.org to support Morgan. On the other hand, prosecutors claimed he told lies to cover up the crime and made up conflicting stories. The law enforcement officials stated that he knew his brother would die in the fire.

Moreover, police said the South Carolina teenager set the fire and did not call 911 for help. He set a fire two weeks before the incident, too. He dropped a tea candle on a blanket and set fire to a string on one of the sofa pillows on the morning of the fatal fire. He did not go to his brother’s bedroom but went outside to observe the fire and then called the neighbors.

At first, Morgan was charged with murder and first-degree arson since it was proven that he set the fire intentionally. However, he entered a plea deal in 2016 with involuntary manslaughter, third-degree arson, and unlawful conduct toward a child. So he was sentenced to 10 years for unlawful conduct and 5 years for involuntary manslaughter, along with probation after release. His lawyers, York County B.J. Barrowclough, told The Herald he was pleased that he was finally being released after serving half of his 15-year sentence.