Jackson, Mich. (WKHM, Marc W. Daly) — A Jackson County man has been ordered to in-patient psychiatric treatment after a fire he started led to the death of another man. Christopher Michael Wright, 36, will undergo treatment at a secure facility before serving five years of probation. He pleaded guilty by reason of mental illness to manslaughter and second-degree arson.
Wright, diagnosed with schizophrenia and substance abuse disorder, admitted to starting the February 2022 fire at a home on East Ganson Street. Investigators say he dropped a lit cigarette onto kerosene on the front porch. The fire killed 28-year-old Jacob Robert-Dean Eddy, who succumbed to burns and smoke inhalation after re-entering the home to search for another resident and a dog.
Wright was arrested at the scene and will remain in the Jackson County Jail until placement in a secure treatment facility. The fire followed prior altercations between Wright and Eddy, including threats and a fistfight just days before the incident.
