ChatGPT logs used in wildfire arson case as jury deadlocks

A federal judge declared a mistrial in the Palisades Fire arson case after jurors deadlocked 10-2. Jonathan Rinderknecht is set for a new trial on October 19, 2026.

Rinderknecht, a former Pacific Palisades resident who was living in Florida when agents arrested him in October 2025, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire near Pacific Palisades just after midnight on January 1, 2025. The fire later smoldered underground and reignited on January 7 as the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 structures across 23,448 acres in Los Angeles County. A federal grand jury later added two felonies to the case.

At trial, prosecutors presented ChatGPT history that included requests for images of a burning city, questions about why he was so angry and fire-related comments. ATF Special Agent Michael Montevidoni testified that the history included thousands of prompts tied to personal turmoil, politics, climate change and burning forests, while defense attorney Steven Haney argued the blaze may have been sparked by fireworks and that investigators reached the scene too late, after the origin point had been altered and evidence destroyed. After the deadlock, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said, “The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025, which eventually became the Palisades Fire. We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts.”