Jury finds Iowa City man guilty of 5 counts of attempted murder and arson

A Johnson County jury has convicted an Iowa City man of five counts of attempted murder and one count of arson on connection with what prosecutors said was an attempt to kill two adults and three children in 2021.

Ishmael Carter, 34, faces as many as 150 years in prison when he is sentenced April 14. Each count carries a maximum term of 25 years.

The trial began Jan. 17 and jurors deliberated for four hours, court filings show.

According to the criminal complaint, Carter went to his former girlfriend's apartment on June 13, 2021, and poured lighter fluid under the door after she refused to answer it, the lit the fire. The flames trapped five people in the residence, although they ultimately were able to escape without injury, the complaint said.

It said officers saw Carter watching the fire outside the apartment before he was arrested.

Iowa City police investigators testified they found video showing Carter purchasing the lighter fluid at L&M Mighty Shop, then opening the container with his teeth as he walked away from the convenience store.

During the trial, a firefighter from Iowa City Fire Department testified that the fire was significant enough that it could not have been extinguished without firefighters' intervention. The firefighter also testified that the fire created enough smoke to quickly injure or kill any person who was in the residence at the time of the event.

George Shillcock is the Press-Citizen's local government and development reporter covering Iowa City and Johnson County. He can be reached at (319) 214-5039, GShillcock@press-citizen.com and on Twitter @ShillcockGeorge

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Ishmael Carter of Iowa City convicted of five counts of attempted murder