The man who set fire to a Hamilton home where his 9-month-old daughter lived in July 2021, killing the baby and three other relatives, will likely spend the rest of life in prison.
A judge on Wednesday sentenced Michael Sanders to life without the possibility of parole for the death of his daughter, Malani Sanders, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Judge Robert E. Lytle also sentenced him to three separate 30-year terms to run consecutive for the other victims of the blaze on Woodlawn Avenue: the infant’s grandparents, 42-year-old Tiffany Abrams-Jones and 50-year-old Prince Jones, and their son, 18-year-old Zaire McRae.
Sanders, 27, has been incarcerated since his arrest, a few days after the July 9, 2021, fire.
“The prosecution asked for four consecutive life sentences. Judge Lytle did what he considered best, a stiff and serious punishment, but one that would not likely be overturned on appeal,” Sanders’ attorney, Mark Fury said after the sentencing.
“It was a terrible crime,” Fury said.
A jury in March convicted Sanders on four counts of first-degree murder. Sanders lit the home on fire about 10 minutes after buying cigars and torch lighter at a nearby convenience store, authorities said.
The ensuing fire, which started at 3:40 a.m., was so ferocious that it eventually caused the roof to collapse.
Abrams-Jones either jumped or fell from the second floor and firefighters found her fatally injured on the side of the house, officials said.
Prince Jones escaped the home but suffered burns over 80% of his body. He died two days later at a hospital. Zaire McRae succumbed to his injuries in early August 2021.
The baby’s mother survived. Nobody was able to get Malani Sanders out of a bedroom.
Earlier in the night, Sanders texted his daughter’s mother, telling her to remove their child from the home. Afterward, investigators said he used a taxi to travel from his Trenton home to an area near the Woodlawn home, officials have said.
Security footage showed Sanders at the store and near the home at the time of the fire. Authorities said Sanders initially admitted being in the area to investigators but denied his role in the fire.
Assistant Mercer County prosecutors Rachel G. Cook, chief of the Mercer County Homicide Task Force, and Laura Sunyak tried the case.
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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com