US sailor acquitted of setting fire that destroyed massive Navy ship
- A judge said the vessel’s lower vehicle storage area had become ‘a junkyard’ and he believed the Navy was trying to pin the blame on Seaman Ryan Sawyer Mays
- The verdict comes as a blow to the Navy, as it faces allegations of improper training and maintenance of the US$1.2 billion USS Bonhomme Richard
A military judge on Friday acquitted a sailor of arson in a fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard, a blow to the Navy as it faces allegations of improper training and maintenance of the US$1.2 billion amphibious assault ship.
Ryan Sawyer Mays, 21, deeply exhaled when the verdict was read, put both hands on the defence table, broke into sobs and hugged supporters in the audience at Naval Base San Diego.
Outside the courtroom building, Mays read a brief statement to reporters and declined to answer questions. He did not address his plans.
“I can say that the past two years have been the hardest two years of my entire life as a young man,” he said. “I’ve lost time with friends. I’ve lost friends. I’ve lost time with family, and my entire Navy career was ruined. I am looking forward to starting over.”
Prosecutors presented no physical evidence during the nine-day trial that the sailor set the ship on fire, while the defence chipped away at the credibility of a key witness, Seaman Kenji Velasco, who changed his account over time.