Breaking News: Navy Jury Acquits Junior Sailor Charged With Aggravated Arson of a 1.2 Billion Dollar War Ship And Smells Like Cover Up City
This story is absolutely insane. If you haven't heard of it yet, Kate did a good primer here.
We have talked about this incident a bunch over the last few years and now it's over... well, at least for one sailor. Andrew Dyer from the San Diego Tribune has been on this case like no one else. He just published the report of the hearing.
Seaman Recruit Ryan Sawyer Mays was charged with aggravated arson and the willful hazarding of a vessel in July 2021, more than a year after the blaze on board the $1.2 billion ship, which was moored at Naval Base San Diego at the time. The fire caused so much damage the Navy chose to sell the vessel for scrap.
Mays broke down sobbing when the judge read the not-guilty verdict in court. He then entered the gallery, went to his mother and held her in a long embrace.
In this podcast, we go piece by piece through the information that led to his acquittal. When you hear it, you'll know it has been a high-level cover-up for a long while. Justice was done.
It starts right when you press play.