Syracuse, NY -- An Onondaga County jury will begin deliberating this afternoon in an arson trial of a Syracuse man who set three dozen fires -- two fatal -- in Chicago four decades ago. Alan Norcutt, 62, of Sackett Street, is accused of using lighter fluid Oct. 23 to set fire to a neighbor's camping trailer in the 800...
A jury is deliberating whether Alan Norcutt set a neighbor's camping trailer on fire. Norcutt previously set three dozen fires - two fatal - in Chicago four decades ago. Syracuse, NY -- An Onondaga County jury will begin deliberating this afternoon in an arson trial of a Syracuse man who set three dozen fires -- two fatal -- in Chicago four decades ago.
Alan Norcutt, 62, of Sackett Street, is accused of using lighter fluid Oct. 23 to set fire to a neighbor's camping trailer in the 800 block of Park Avenue.
The jurors heard nothing about Norcutt's previous arsons at trial this week after Onondaga County Judge Anthony Aloi ruled it would prejudice the panel.
During closing arguments today, Senior Assistant District Attorney Timothy Hennigan called Norcutt’s actions last year “an evil, evil act.”
Hennigan argued that that all the circumstantial evidence pointed to Norcutt, including the fact that the defendant was seen in the area right before the fire started, that he owned a can of lighter fluid with his fingerprint on it and that he changed his story about how he discovered the fire when questioned by multiple investigators.
Norcutt’s defense lawyer Laurin Haddad argued that someone else could have started the fire: a neighbor or a relative of the trailer’s owner – who happened to be a volunteer firefighter. She also said that Norcutt’s inconsistent statements were due to the fact that he is partially deaf.
Norcutt used a hearing aid during court proceedings this week.
Hennigan called Norcutt’s hearing problem “hogwash,” saying that investigators testified that Norcutt answered to their questions appropriately.
Haddad pointed out that Norcutt reported the fire to 911. But Hennigan said that a fire investigator testified that Norcutt claimed he didn’t realize there was a fire until fire trucks pulled into the driveway. The prosecutor suggested that Norcutt later changed his story after realizing there were inconsistencies.
Haddad said that Norcutt had loaned a can of lighter fluid to a neighbor. But the neighbor refuted that, saying he had no use for lighter fluid. The can was found on the stairway leading to the neighbor’s apartment in the building where Norcutt lived.
Closing arguments wrapped up around 11:30 a.m.
While the jury did not hear about Norcutt’s previous arsons, that didn’t keep relatives of some of Norcutt’s victims from making the trip from Chicago to attend the trial. One of them was Joe Carone Jr., a retired Chicago cop whose father was killed in 1964 fighting a fire started by Norcutt, then 17.
He said he agreed with decision not to introduce evidence from Norcutt’s previous arsons, saying it took away a possible grounds for appeal if Norcutt is found guilty.