MAY 18, 2015
KITTERY, MAINE
The man convicted of setting a fire that damaged a
nuclear-powered submarine — ultimately causing it to be scrapped when it was
deemed too costly to repair — now claims he made a false confession because he
was threatened with life in prison.
Casey Fury, who pleaded guilty in the 2012 fire that damaged
the submarine Miami, told The Portsmouth Herald in an interview published
Sunday that he does not think he started the blaze.
"I don't believe I'm responsible," he said.
"I don't believe I did it. I don't remember doing it."
Fury said he wants to ask a judge to reconsider his sentence
because his mental health and addiction problems weren't fully considered at
trial.
Prosecutors say Fury was seeking an excuse to get off early
from his job at the Portsmouth Naval Yard when he set fire to a box of rags in
May 2012, starting a blaze that quickly spread through the forward compartments
of the Miami. The fire caused $700 million in damage, and the Navy eventually
decided it was not worth fixing.
Fury, who pleaded guilty to two counts of arson, said he did
later set a second, smaller fire and pull a fire alarm on another day.
Fury, 27, said he began suffering anxiety, panic attacks and
depression soon after being hired as a civilian to do painting and sandblasting
on the submarine, and that he often mixed prescription drugs with alcohol.
Fury said he was taking a lot of medication at the time and
doesn't even remember his confession.
"I don't think I remember going to work that day,"
he told the newspaper.
Source: http://www.militarytimes.com