LOS ANGELES (KABC) — An ATF special agent returned to the stand Wednesday in Jonathan Linderknecht’s federal arson trial, telling jurors and investigators that they found software on the defendant’s cell phone that linked him to the dark web, and that shortly after the search warrant was served, the defendant asked ChatGPT how to delete all his video messages from iCloud.
The investigator also testified that Rinderknecht used artificial intelligence to generate images depicting wildfires and wealth disparities.
Prosecutors allege that Rinderknecht intentionally started the Lachmann Fire on January 1, 2025, that it smoldered underground for a week and was reignited as the Palisades Fire during high winds on January 7.
He said he acted out of anger at society because he had no friends and was not invited to New Year’s celebrations.
Legal analyst Neema Rahmani said the defense appears to be focused on distinguishing between two sparks in jurors’ minds.
“You can see it in the cross-examination when they ask the prosecution witness, ‘Did the building get damaged, were there any lives lost?’ If the jury returns a guilty verdict, the defense wants to limit it to the initial fire,” Rahmani said.
Rinderknecht’s lawyers argued that prosecutors lacked evidence, pointing out that investigators had found no accelerant or witnesses that identified Rinderknecht, and there was no confession. But Rahmani said prosecutors still had considerable material to work with.
“Bic lighter was found and the geofence location placed him there. The Uber passengers he dropped off said he seemed agitated. There’s a motive. He wanted to wage war against the wealthy,” he said.
During cross-examination, the defense pressed ATF investigators, who admitted that law enforcement officials did not perform crime scene preservation around the Luckman fire.
Rahmani added that some victims of the Palisades fire may not want Rinderknecht convicted of starting the second fire because it could affect their civil lawsuits against the city of Los Angeles and the state of California.
“This makes it more difficult for homeowners to pursue claims and recover damages from government agencies with deep pockets of ability to pay,” he said.
The trial is ongoing.
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