Man Convicted of Capital Murder in Galveston Arson That Killed Woman

GALVESTON, Texas — A Galveston County jury has convicted a man of capital murder in a deadly house fire set in retaliation for a drug debt, according to the Galveston County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.

22-year-old Courtney Allen Thompson Jr. was found guilty May 4th in the death of Renita Hawthorne, who died in a February 2024 house fire at 715 39th Street. Under Texas law, the conviction carries an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The fire prompted a large response from the Galveston Fire Department and the Galveston Police Department. Firefighters rescued three people, including two children, by breaking a bedroom window, but Hawthorne did not survive.

Officials later determined Hawthorne died from carbon monoxide poisoning and thermal injuries. The Galveston Fire Marshal’s Office ruled the fire an arson.

Prosecutors said the attack was carried out in retaliation for a drug debt owed by Hawthorne’s son. During trial, Chief Felony Prosecutor Adam Poole and Felony Chief ADA Whitaker Chisam presented evidence including threatening messages sent to the victim’s family, surveillance video and social media posts.

Video shown in court captured a vehicle circling the victim’s home and two men approaching the residence, one carrying a red gasoline can. Moments later, flames could be seen as the men ran from the scene.

Fire investigators testified the blaze was intentionally set with multiple ignition points at the doors, trapping those inside. Lab results confirmed gasoline was used.

Jurors also saw video of a man matching Thompson’s clothing purchasing gasoline shortly before the fire, as well as evidence linking him to an associate identified as Xavier Faison, who prosecutors said was connected to the drug dispute.

A jailhouse informant testified Thompson admitted he had been hired to set the fire.

Prosecutors argued the method of setting the fire showed intent to kill everyone inside the home. The jury deliberated for part of a day before a weekend recess, then returned a guilty verdict shortly after deliberations resumed Monday.

Officials credited multiple agencies for their work on the case, including investigators and fire personnel who helped determine the cause of the deadly blaze.