ARSON TRIAL TO BEGIN FOR MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS CHILDREN.Byline: Ben Dobbin Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Mark Mastin's only injury was a flash burn on one side of his face. His wife, Lisa, jumped from a window with severe leg burns. Their three young children all died. Police say Mastin, angry that his wife had yet again gone out drinking and left him home with the kids, deliberately tossed a lighted cigarette into papers under the stairs. Investigators quoted him as saying: ``I wanted to teach my wife a lesson.'' The defense argued that his confession confession, in law, the formal admission of criminal guilt, usually obtained in the course of examination by the police or prosecutor or at trial. For a confession to be admissible as evidence against an accused individual, it generally must have been procured was coerced, but a judge refused to throw it out. Mastin goes on trial Monday Monday: see week. on charges of first-degree arson arson, at common law, the malicious and willful burning of the house of another. Originally, it was an offense against the security of habitation rather than against property rights. and second-degree murder. If convicted, he could get life in prison. The defense maintains that the fire started accidentally. ``I've I've Contraction of I have. I've I have I've have been around some very bad people, and none of them ever would go around and torch their children to get even with the wife,'' said defense attorney Felix Lapine. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Mark Mastin Could get life in prison |
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