A fire broke out when they were making meth. They fled, leaving their grandmother to die.
Jeff SmithA Corning man who, along with his brother, started a meth lab fire that killed their grandmother in May 2019, has been found guilty of second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to spend time in state prison.
Justin Gause, 24, was sentenced by Steuben County Court Judge Patrick F. McCallister to three to nine years in state prison, according to Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker.
Gause and his brother, Jarrett W. Gause, 36, started a fire while making methamphetamine at a Townsend Avenue residence on May 14, 2019. At the time of the fire, the two brothers took equipment from the home, smoked cigarettes and did not return, Baker said.
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The brothers' grandmother, 82-year-old Gladys Ann Willow, was left in the house.
Multiple fire departments and police responded to 20 Townsend Ave. and firefighters fought the blaze for nearly 30 minutes.
Willow was taken to Corning Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Baker said Jarrett W. Gause was found guilty of tampering with physical evidence and sentenced to one to three years in state prison.