Man convicted of arson, five counts of attempted murder after Iowa City house fire

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Sentencing will take place in April for a man who is now convicted of arson and five counts of attempted murder for in incident in Iowa City in June 2021.

At the trial last week, prosecutors said 34-year-old Ishmael Carter deliberately poured lighter fluid under the door of a home in Iowa City on June 13, 2021, then lit it.

Investigators with the Iowa City Police Department said they found surveillance video from a convenience store where Carter bought the lighter fluid used in the incident.

Five people were inside the home at the time, but all were able to get out safely.

Firefighters testified the fire was large enough that it could not have been extinguished without their help. They also testified the fire created enough smoke to injure or kill anyone inside the home at the time of the fire.

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