Dad Who Taught Arson Gets 40 Years In Prison

A man who coached and coerced his two children to set fire to their mother’s home was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Saturday for three attempted murders.

Richard Taylor, 36, was convicted Thursday of arson and the murder attempts after his 10-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter testified he showed them how to set fire to his ex-wife’s house on May 3.

Taylor received concurrent prison sentences of 30 years each for the attempted murder of his ex-wife Josie Garmon and her husband, John, and 40 years for the attempted murder of their 6-year-old son, Stephen.

Taylor’s children pleaded guilty to arson and have been sentenced to 12 months of probation and 100 hours of community service.