In the autumn of 2025, authorities arrested Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, for allegedly starting a fire that turned into the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California.
Rinderknecht allegedly started the fire on January 1. It exploded due to intense winds on January 7 and ripped through the prestigious neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, killing 12 people. It also destroyed over 6,000 homes and buildings.The authorities charged Rinderknecht with destruction of property by means of fire.
There has been an update to this case. A judge recently declared a mistrial in Rinderknecht’s federal trial.
The judge declared a mistrial Friday in the federal trial of the man accused of starting the deadly blaze that devastated the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles last year, with the jury unable to reach a verdict.Jonathan Rinderknecht was accused of “maliciously” starting a fire that six days later developed into what became known as the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history.He was indicted on three federal counts — destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire — which carry up to 45 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty.
The jurors could not reach a verdict.
Juror #4, a woman named Syrena from Lompoc, Calif., told The California Post that she felt the government didn’t present a convincing enough case and wasted jurors’ time.“It’s disappointing because of how much money and time they put into the same thing. I don’t know … but like, yeah, bullsh–t,” she said.“I really felt like, ‘What are we doing here?’ a lot of times. And at first my thoughts were like, ‘Oh, even if he’s guilty, there’s not enough…’ You know like you feel like that? You see it on TV all the time — murderers get off, and I mean, that’s how my brain went.“You’re supposed to be presenting this case to me to convict that man, and I felt like, ‘No, that doesn’t make sense. Like, what?’ Like, you’re making me feel like he’s more and more innocent with each fact.”?
The move came after the empaneled jury was strongly encouraged to reach a unanimous verdict.
The note said that jurors on both sides “are unwilling to change their opinion” and that they are “at a standstill,” unsure of how to proceed.Defense attorney Steve Haney requested an Allen charge, in which a judge gives specific instructions to encourage a deadlocked jury in a criminal trial to reach a unanimous verdict and avoid a mistrial. It is also commonly known as the “dynamite charge” or “hammer charge,” because it serves as a final, high-pressure effort to force an agreement.Haney moved for a mistrial on Friday, while federal prosecutor Mark Williams initially pushed back. The judge asked each juror whether it was impossible to come to a unanimous decision for the charges, and each member of the jury replied “yes.” That’s when Williams agreed to a mistrial.
Rinderknecht will remain in custody. A retrial is planned for Oct. 19.
Former LA fire investigator Ed Nordskog accused the investigators of confirmation bias, noting that he often responded to dozens of fires on New Year’s Eve, most of them started by fireworks.“They’re choosing to look at information in a very sinister way when they should be a little more open about it,” Nordskog said.Defense witnesses also noted that the fire scene could have been compromised because access was not closed off until Jan. 14, nearly two weeks after the first blaze started.“Can you convict a man based on a crime scene that was destroyed? Stripped of all evidence? Evidence that could’ve proved his innocence?” Haney asked jurors during closing arguments.
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