Criminal Law
25 Years for Louisiana Man Setting Fire to Black Churches
A Louisiana man was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday for setting fire to three historically Black churches, federal prosecutors said.
Holden Matthews, 23, in February pleaded guilty to setting fire to the Baptist churches in spring 2019 and said he did it to boost his profile in the “black metal” community, the Justice Department said.
Black metal is described as an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Matthews sought to emulate a Norwegian musician who “gained notoriety” by setting fire to churches in that country in the 1990s, according to a plea agreement.
