Woman guilty of murder, arson in Lansing fire that killed 3

Lansing – A jury convicted a woman of three counts of first-degree murder and arson Monday for setting a fire that killed her boyfriend’s mother and two grandsons.

The Ingham County jury needed just 80 minutes to return the convictions against Abbieana Williams in the Sept. 3, 2020, fire, the Lansing State Journal reported.

She was charged in the deaths of 53-year-old Melissa Westen, 8-year-old Aston Griffin and 4-year-old Jesse Kline IV.

“And for what? Because she was jealous and revengeful because she thought her boyfriend was cheating on her,” John Dewane, Ingham County’s deputy chief assistant prosecutor, said during closing arguments in Williams’ trial.

Because she was convicted of first-degree murder, Williams will be sentenced to a life in prison without parole.

All three victims died from smoke inhalation, said Michael Markey, a medical examiner at Sparrow Hospital.

Mariah Westen, the boys’ mother, said “justice was served.”

“She will be getting what she deserves for killing my boys and my mother,” Mariah Westen said.