Jan. 25--A judge told a man convicted of murder and arson in connection with the 2008 blaze that killed Detroit firefighter Walter Harris that society has a duty to protect first responders, then sentenced him to spend 41 1/2 to 62 1/2 years in prison.
"If society does not uphold that duty, society is risking self-destruction," Wayne County Circuit Judge Michael Callahan said. "Not only do I agree that society has the duty to protect firefighters, police officers and EMS, I adopt that duty as my own."
Mario Willis received the same sentence he got in 2010, after testimony that he paid a man $20 to set fire to a house owned by his then-girlfriend. He was convicted of second-degree murder and arson and appeared in court again today because the Michigan Court of Appeals ordered him to be re-sentenced.
Harris died trying to put out the fire when the roof collapsed. The man convicted of setting the fire, Darian Dove, was sentenced in 2010 to 17-30 years in prison as part of a plea agreement.
Harris' widow, Syri Harris, wiped away tears as Battalion Chief Steven Kirschner took the stand and read the names of 20 firefighters who were at the scene of the fatal fire that day, including senior firefighter Harris.
"It's hurtful and a slap in the face to be here again six years later," she told the court.
She also said she agreed with the original sentence.
Back in 2010, Callahan ordered Willis to serve 41 1/2 to 62 1/2 years on the second-degree murder charge and about 10 to 20 years for arson. He was to serve both at the same time.
But Willis appealed, and the Michigan Court of Appeals sent the case back to Callahan for re-sentencing, saying he did not justify why he exceeded sentencing guidelines in the case.
"I find that the death of Walter Harris or any other firefighter at the scene was foreseeable," Callahan said. "The defendant clearly knew that the house ... had been severely damaged by a prior fire."
Willis' defense attorney, Craig Daly, asked Callahan to consider his client's post-sentencing rehabilitation and conduct. He said Willis is a model inmate and lacked a criminal history because he had just one misdemeanor conviction in 2002.
Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Robert Stevens argued the guidelines do not properly reflect the sentence he should get and said he had a "cold, callous, financially driven motive."
A few dozen firefighters packed the courtroom. Outside the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, two rescue squads were parked along with a ladder truck.
Harris said she was glad to be surrounded by her family and her fire department brothers and sisters after the hearing.
"It's been traumatic," she said. "My six boys have been through a lot. We just continue to focus on the vision my husband had for our family and we just keep moving forward."
She said she doesn't feel Willis accepted responsibility for his part in what happened.
Kirschner said it wasn't fair that the firefighters and the Harris family had to relive the tragedy. "But, hopefully we've put a fork in it now and we won't have to look at this for another 20 years."
Copyright 2014 - Detroit Free Press
