US navy sailor acquitted of setting fire that destroyed $1.2bn warship

A military court judge on Friday acquitted a US navy sailor charged with intentionally setting a fire that destroyed a billion-dollar warship and injured dozens onboard.

Military judge Derek Butler sided with the defense, ruling that prosecutors lacked enough hard evidence to prove the charges of arson and willful hazarding of a vessel that they had filed against Mays.

Mays could have received a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.

The flames also inflicted extensive structural, electrical and mechanical damage to the Bonhomme Richard, and the $1.2bn ship was scrapped, capping off the worst non-combat US military warship fire that many could remember.

Investigators could not find any physical evidence that illustrated what started the immense fire. They did speak with an eyewitness who, after multiple interviews, claimed to have seen Mays walk down into the lower vehicle deck while holding a bucket shortly before smoke began billowing out of that part of the ship.

The Associated Press contributed reporting