Records tie Spokane arson suspect to prior Arizona manslaughter plea after murder charge

Aaron Farinacci, accused of starting a Spokane-area blaze that destroyed hundreds of structures, previously pleaded guilty in Arizona to manslaughter after first facing a first-degree murder charge, according to court records cited by the Arizona Daily Independent.

The outlet reported the Spokane-area fires have burned more than 10,000 acres and over 900 structures. The Old Trails Fire that Washington authorities have charged Farinacci with starting destroyed nearly 700 homes and burned more than 3,000 acres. As of Monday, officials had not reported deaths or serious injuries.

Arizona court records state that in 2010 Farinacci shot and killed his father, Jeffrey, and used a gun to place his mother, Beth, in "reasonable apprehension of imminent physical injury." Initially facing a potential life sentence, he accepted a 2012 plea to manslaughter and aggravated assault. He was sentenced to 12 years and released in 2020 after serving 10 years, including credit for two years in jail while awaiting trial. Former prosecutor Cully Stimson said Farinacci earned good time credits that shortened the time he served. Arizona law requires felony inmates to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence.

Scottsdale defense attorney Blake Thornbro told the outlet he did not recall a case in his practice where a first-degree murder charge was pleaded down to manslaughter and described the deal as unusual. He said a key difference between the two offenses is mental intent, with the first-degree murder standard higher and more difficult to prove.

Stimson, now acting director of the Heritage Foundation's Legal Policy Center, said prosecutors weigh forensic evidence and timing to assess premeditation, and he noted that outcomes reducing a first-degree murder charge to a manslaughter plea do occur. He added that sentences for upper-end manslaughter can sometimes be close to those for premeditated murder. Under Arizona law, first-degree murder requires intending or knowing conduct will cause death with premeditation, while manslaughter covers recklessly causing another person's death.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office declined an interview and said staff do not discuss plea negotiations, the Arizona Daily Independent reported.

After his release, Farinacci was placed on Arizona probation and requested a transfer to Washington in 2021, court records show. Washington accepted courtesy supervision in 2022. A 2023 report from his Arizona probation officer cited full-time employment and a stable residence with his girlfriend and her family in Spokane as positive supports. The same document noted he had not completed a mental health evaluation or domestic violence treatment and that he was reprimanded multiple times for noncompliance. His probation concluded in 2024 after three years.

In the Washington case, court records state Farinacci confessed to starting more than two dozen fires over more than a year. He is being held on a $2 million bond, and a court has ordered a mental health competency evaluation.

Dennisse Ley of Homicide Survivors, Inc. said that when sentences are reduced or releases come sooner than families expect, it can feel like the loss is being minimized and accountability has changed. She said proactive communication from prosecutors about why changes occur can help families understand decisions.

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