Convicted arsonist may get new trial after 20 years in jail

For years, Adam Gray has held onto the hope that Cook County prosecutors might one day acknowledge that advances in fire science had cast serious doubt on his conviction for a fire that killed two people in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood. Now, after more than 20 years of serving a life sentence without parole, it seems that hope may finally be turning into reality.

In recently filed court documents, the Conviction Integrity Unit under State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez concluded that Gray deserves a new trial due to significant developments in fire science that have undermined the expert testimony used to convict him in 1996. Assistant State’s Attorney Celeste Stewart Stack, who agreed to Gray’s request for a retrial, stated that his original conviction was based, at least in part, on scientific evidence that is no longer considered valid by the broader scientific community.

The shift in Gray’s case has been slow, despite the fact that fire science had already begun evolving in the early 1990s — the same year the fire occurred. For many years, investigators relied on outdated methods passed down through experience rather than scientific research. Today, those newer, more accurate techniques are widely accepted across the country. As a result, many old arson convictions have been re-evaluated and overturned.

One of the most well-known cases involved Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed in Texas in 2004 for setting a fire that killed his three daughters. A Tribune investigation later revealed that his conviction was based on flawed scientific evidence. A Texas forensic science commission later acknowledged the error, and Willingham is now seen as one of the first individuals proven innocent through scientific re-examination. However, his original prosecutor still maintains the conviction was justified.

In Gray’s case, the fire happened in March 1993 when he was just 14 years old. He was allegedly angry with a girl who lived in a two-flat building on South Albany Avenue after she rejected him. According to police and prosecutors, Gray poured an accelerant on the back porch of the second floor and the stairs. While the girl and her parents survived, Peter McGuiness, 54, and his sister Margaret Mesa, 74, died in the blaze.

At trial, prosecutors focused on two key pieces of evidence: the claim that the fire was intentionally set and Gray’s confession. Two fire investigators testified that they found alligator-like charring and deep burn patterns, which they said were signs of an accelerant being used. A milk jug found in the alley contained what police believed to be gasoline, and a gas station clerk reported that Gray had purchased gas shortly before the fire.

Gray initially admitted to buying gasoline to start the fire, but later denied the confession, claiming he had been pressured by officers during questioning. He insisted he was at a friend’s house when the fire broke out. His legal team began gathering support after consulting with renowned fire scientists John Lentini and Gerald Hurst, who had previously examined the Willingham case. Hurst argued that the initial investigation was flawed, pointing out that the so-called signs of arson were not reliable indicators. He also noted that the fire investigators had failed to properly rule out accidental causes.

Lentini further found that the substance in the milk jug was not gasoline, but a petroleum distillate commonly found in treated wood products. Neither this substance nor the material found at the scene was effective as an accelerant. Despite these findings, prosecutors initially refused to grant a new trial, citing Gray’s confession as the main reason to uphold his conviction.

However, with growing awareness of how outdated fire science can lead to wrongful convictions, the tide is beginning to turn in Gray’s favor. It remains to be seen whether justice will finally be served after so many years behind bars.

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