Man set fire that killed girlfriend's mom and grandma, GA cops say. He's prison-bound
Jurors convicted Robert Colt Smith, 32, on charges of felony murder and first-degree arson in the 2023 house fire, the Cobb County District Attorney's Office said Feb. 27.
He was also found guilty of aggravated battery and aggravated assault for attacking his then-girlfriend, Carolyn Parmalee, 19, before starting the deadly blaze, according to prosecutors.
Parmalee's mom, 52-year-old Andrea Nall, and grandma, 74-year-old Michelle Lacroix, died March 12, 2023, when flames tore through their home in Austell, prosecutors said. The family's eight pets were also killed.
'This community was robbed of two amazing women who opened their home as a refuge,' Senior Assistant District Attorney Jared Horowitz, who prosecuted the case with Senior Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Green, said in a news release.
'These two mothers did what any parent would — protect their children from an abuser,' Horowitz said. 'But this defendant used fire to seek revenge.'
Prosecutors pointed to Smith's history of abuse, citing beatings that landed Parmalee in a hospital on three occasions, according to the release. One attack on Feb. 14, 2022, left her with 'severe black eyes' and 'a shoe print on her face.'
Smith was arrested but released on bond on a no-contact order, prosecutors said. However, he and Parmalee continued seeing each other.
After repeated assaults on her daughter, Andrea Nall tried to have Smith's bond revoked for violating the no-contact order, according to the DA's office.
Smith found out and started a fire outside the family's home, authorities said.
'He used the (spray) paint as an accelerant to set fire to a Honda CRV parked under the carport,' prosecutors said. 'The vehicle ignited instantly, spreading flames to the carport and the house.'
Nall, Lacroix and their pets died of smoke inhalation, authorities said.
'This case is a tragic reminder of how domestic violence can escalate to devastating consequences,' Cobb County District Attorney Sonya F. Allen said in a statement.
A judge sentenced Smith to two life sentences plus 20 years in prison, prosecutors said.
Austell is about a 20-mile drive northwest from downtown Atlanta.
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