A Las Vegas man was sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to setting a fire that resulted in the death of his mother.

Clifton Hall, 32, tearfully expressed remorse during his sentencing, saying, “There hasn’t been a day since it’s happened that I didn’t regret it.”

Hall entered an Alford plea in October, acknowledging that prosecutors had sufficient evidence to convict him of second-degree murder, though he did not admit guilt.

Tragic Incident

The fire occurred in the early hours of January 8 at a trailer home on Liston Avenue in Moapa Valley, where Hall and his mother, Patricia McGinnis, lived. Firefighters discovered McGinnis inside the burning trailer, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

“I lost the most important thing to me in the world, and it was all because of me,” Hall said, struggling to hold back tears.

Defense Arguments

Hall’s attorney, David Lopez-Negrete, described the incident as tragic but argued that it was not intentional. He pointed to Hall’s struggles with mental illness and substance abuse as factors leading to his “terrible” decision-making that night.

“He was trying to rescue her in that moment, breaking down windows, using a hose,” Lopez-Negrete said, emphasizing Hall’s efforts to save his mother.

Prosecution and Sentencing

Prosecutor Christopher Hamner did not argue for a specific sentence length but emphasized the gravity of the crime.

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Tierra Jones ordered Hall to pay over $4,500 in restitution to victims of the crime.

Hall reflected on his mother’s forgiveness in court, saying, “She was always super forgiving whenever I was really stupid. She always forgave me.”

The case highlights the devastating impact of substance abuse and mental health struggles, culminating in an irreversible tragedy.

For more details, visit Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
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