Opinion ID: 2378023
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Aggravated Arson Conviction

Text: Arson is knowingly, by means of fire or explosive: damaging any building or property which is a dwelling in which another person has any interest without the consent of such other person. K.S.A. 21-3718(a)(1)(A). Aggravated arson is arson, as defined in K.S.A. 21-3718 . . . committed upon a building or property in which there is a human being. K.S.A. 21-3719(a)(1). Similar to the murder conviction, McCaslin does not advance substantive arguments in his brief. Instead, he primarily contends that the aggravated arson conviction was premised on the rape conviction and must fail because the latter conviction was not supported by sufficient evidence. The State again contends that McCaslin insufficiently addresses this issue. We disagree with the State's argument for the same reasons concerning the first-degree murder conviction. We conclude that sufficient evidence existed for a rational jury to find McCaslin guilty of aggravated arson beyond a reasonable doubt. When viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, a jury could reasonably infer that McCaslin had knowingly set fire to A.D.'s house, with her inside, without her consent. When McCaslin left A.D.'s house for the final time the morning of her death, it was not visibly burning. He admitted he was a few blocks from her house when he received a ride from his father; phone records establish that his father had called him at 9:07 a.m. to arrange that ride. 911 was called approximately 2 hours later to report the fire. Lieutenant Hurd testified that when emergency crews responded the fire had already been burning for a long time because it had burned through the floor, the floor joists, and a wall. While no witnesses actually saw McCaslin light the fire, he put a Presto brand lighter in the pillow sham with his bloody clothes, which he hid in the nearby dumpster as soon as he left the house. Finally, McCaslin claimed that A.D. was dead when he found her in the bathroom before the fire. But the coroner opined that she was alive, but wounded, when the fire was set.