North Texas Man Gets 75 Years For Arson, Manslaughter

Posted by thejudge in Oct, 2012

Original Article by AP on October 18, 2012

McKINNEY (AP) – A North Texas man has been sentenced to 75 years in prison for assisting in another man’s death from a drug overdose and trying to conceal the crime by setting fire to a home.

Collin County prosecutors said Thursday that a jury convicted 42-year-old Christopher Joel Graham on arson, manslaughter and burglary charges. The sentence was imposed Wednesday by state District Judge John Roach Jr.

Trial testimony showed that Graham, his girlfriend and several others used methamphetamine for about a day at a home in the Dallas suburb of McKinney until one man died after Graham helped administer the fatal dose.

Prosecutors alleged that Graham and others stole items from the home before Graham set fire to the house when the group left. Graham had a previous burglary conviction.