{"id":40740,"date":"2022-09-30T16:51:01","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T16:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/09\/30\/sailor-found-not-guilty-of-setting-fire-that-destroyed-ship\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:13:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:13:20","slug":"sailor-found-not-guilty-of-setting-fire-that-destroyed-ship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/2022\/09\/30\/sailor-found-not-guilty-of-setting-fire-that-destroyed-ship\/","title":{"rendered":"Sailor found not guilty of Bonhomme Richard arson"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SAN DIEGO \u2014 A military judge<\/a> on Friday acquitted a sailor of arson in a fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard, a blow to the Navy as it faces allegations of improper training and maintenance of the $1.2 billion amphibious assault ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan Sawyer Mays, 21, deeply exhaled when the verdict was read, put both hands on the defense table, broke into sobs and hugged supporters in the audience at Naval Base San Diego<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside the courtroom building, Mays read a brief statement to reporters and declined to answer questions. He did not address his plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can say that the past two years have been the hardest two years of my entire life as a young man,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve lost time with friends. I\u2019ve lost friends. I\u2019ve lost time with family, and my entire Navy career was ruined. I am looking forward to starting over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prosecutors presented no physical evidence during the nine-day trial that the sailor set the ship on fire, while the defense chipped away at the credibility of a key witness, Seaman Kenji Velasco, who changed his account over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\t