Mason County Courthouse arsonist sentenced to 75 years
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The man convicted of burning down the Mason County Courthouse has been sentenced to 75 years behind bars based on five charges.
Nicholas Miller received his 75-year-long sentence on Wednesday, Feb. 28, approximately one month after he was found guilty by a jury on two charges of arson of a habitation — one for the burning of the courthouse on Feb. 4, 2021, the other for the burning of an occupied residential structure that was ignited in the area on the same day — as well as burglary of a building, unlawful use of a vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Miller’s crimes reached statewide notoriety after he became a suspect in the burning of the Mason County Courthouse, a 111-year-old structure that was preparing for renovations at the time of the incident. Though nobody was injured during the fire, the building would still be considered a total loss despite the efforts of several volunteer fire departments.
RELATED: Historic Mason County Courthouse destroyed in overnight fire
He would eventually be captured by police in the morning hours of Feb. 5, 2021, after leading officers on a car chase near Waco. He would then be booked into the McCulloch County Jail on April 28, 2021.
Miller would then go to trial on Jan. 23, 2024, when evidence gathered by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement would contribute to the jury’s guilty verdict.
Miller’s sentencing would be postponed until Feb. 28, when he would formally receive a concurrent sentence of 75 years based on all five charges.
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