Federal Jury Remains Deadlocked in Palisades Fire Arson Trial

A federal jury in Los Angeles has failed to reach a verdict in the trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is charged with arson for the 2025 Palisades Fire that destroyed thousands of structures and killed 12 people. Jurors had previously indicated they had reached a verdict, but the panel became deadlocked, and deliberations are scheduled to resume on Friday at 9 a.m.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Rinderknecht ignited a small brush fire on New Year's Eve 2024, which later intensified into the Palisades Fire after smoldering underground for several days. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danbee Kim told jurors that the defendant believed "the wealthy were destroying the world" and saw the Pacific Palisades neighborhood as a symbol of that belief.

The defense argued that no direct evidence linked Rinderknecht to the initial blaze and that the prosecution relied on fragmented testimony. Attorney Steven Haney said the case "doesn't make much sense" and that "you don't convict people on fragments."

Rinderknecht, a dual French-U.S. citizen, faces up to 45 years in prison on three arson counts. The prosecution's case included testimony from the owner of a Malibu restaurant destroyed in the fire, cell-phone location data, video footage taken by the defendant, and a green Bic lighter found in his rented vehicle. The defense called an arson specialist and former law-enforcement detectives who suggested the fire could have been caused by fireworks and criticized the handling of the crime scene.

The Palisades Fire, the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history, burned more than 23,000 acres, destroyed about 6,800 structures, and resulted in 12 fatalities. The trial, now at an impasse, will continue as jurors consider the competing forensic and testimonial evidence.