Marjorie Thompson, a 68-year-old woman from Jasper, North Carolina, tragically lost her life on February 4, 2019, in a house fire. The Craven County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and discovered her body in the remains of the fire. The investigation revealed that the fire was not an accident but a deliberate act of arson. Marjorie Thompson's grandson, James Gizzi, a 17-year-old, was arrested and charged with her murder.
Gizzi was also charged with arson, felony cruelty to animals, and felony larceny of a motor vehicle.
The investigation uncovered that James Gizzi had stolen his mother's 2016 Toyota Camry and fled to his brother's house in Mississippi. He was arrested by the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office upon arrival at the residence. Gizzi's brother, John Gizzi, 19, was also arrested and charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
Further details emerged during the investigation, revealing that Marjorie Thompson had been shot in the head before the fire was set. The autopsy confirmed that her cause of death was due to traumatic head injuries. James Gizzi admitted to shooting his grandmother and then setting the house on fire.
James Gizzi's next court appearance was scheduled for March 1, 2019. If convicted of first-degree murder, he faced the possibility of life without parole. The case garnered significant attention due to the shocking nature of the crime and the involvement of family members.
