The Associated Press
CHICAGO — A homeless woman accused of setting an apartment fire that killed four people on the city’s North Side in March was found mentally unfit Thursday to stand trial.
Cook County Judge Charles Burns ruled that Mary Smith was unfit after hearing from a psychiatrist who interviewed her and remanded the 43-year-old to the custody of the state Department of Human Services.
Dr. Peter Lourgos testified that Smith couldn’t give a coherent account of the events leading to her arrest. She is taking an anti-psychotic drug and could be found fit within a year with the right treatment, he said.
Burns will evaluate Smith’s progress next month, said Andy Conklin, spokesman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
Smith has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated arson and has been held without bond. Prosecutors say she admitted starting the blaze by lighting a dollar bill in an attempt to warm her feet.
Families of the four victims have sued the building’s owner and managers, alleging the doors didn’t lock properly.