A Demorest woman will serve eight years in prison and be required to undergo psychological testing following her conviction Friday for arson and insurance fraud.
A Habersham County jury convicted Rebecca Lynn Abernathy of trying to burn down her house at 4195 Cannon Bridge Road on the morning of January 21, 2018. In addition, jurors found Abernathy guilty of filing a fraudulent claim with State Farm Insurance.
Habersham County Superior Court Chief Judge Russell Smith sentenced Abernathy to 30 years. The sentence includes 20 years with eight to serve in prison for arson and 10 years with eight to serve for insurance fraud. The prison terms are to run concurrently.
The judge also ordered the 53-year-old Abernathy to undergo a psychological evaluation and have her finances monitored. Smith ordered a Fourth Amendment Waiver pertaining to Abernathy’s financial matters and required that her future employment is in a job in which taxes must be reported, the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office says.
Abernathy will also be required to pay restitution.
Points of origin
Authorities arrested Abernathy on August 29, 2018, after arson investigators determined the fire at her house was intentionally set.
On the morning of the fire, prosecutors say Habersham County firefighters detected several points of origin inside the residence. They contacted the State Fire Marshal’s Office to investigate. State Farm, too, conducted an independent investigation and investigators ruled out electricity and propane gas as a cause of the fire.
According to prosecutors, a private forensic chemist examined samples taken from the fire debris and determined that weathered gasoline residue was present.
At the time of her arrest, the state fire commissioner said Abernathy stood to receive nearly a quarter-million dollars from her insurance claim.
A restitution hearing will be held within 30 days.
