According to police and court documents reported at the time, Green brought her daughters — 7-year-old Adamiria, 5-year-old Alexandria, and 3-year-old Ariania — into a closet after telling them they were going to play a game. Investigators said gasoline was poured on the children and that a burning shirt was then thrown into the closet.

Neighbors heard the children’s screams and helped remove them from the smoke-filled house. The girls suffered devastating burns. Ariania, the youngest, had burns covering approximately 90 percent of her body and died several days later after being taken off life support. Her two older sisters also suffered severe burns and required hospitalization.

Green herself was also injured in the fire and spent approximately three weeks hospitalized with burns.

According to court records cited by news organizations, Green told authorities that she had set the fire because she was angry with her husband, the children’s father. Her husband also told investigators that Green had previously threatened to set him on fire. Court documents stated that she had previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and that her behavior had reportedly become increasingly concerning in the weeks before the incident. These details were presented in the court records and should not be interpreted as an explanation or excuse for what happened.

The case ultimately went to court, but Green did not face a jury trial. In 2008, she pleaded guilty to capital murder and two counts of injury to a child. A judge sentenced her to life in prison without parole for the capital-murder conviction, along with 40 years for each of the two injury-to-a-child convictions.

During sentencing, Green reportedly expressed remorse and apologized for setting the fire. Her defense attorney said Green accepted the life sentence partly because she wanted to remain alive in case her surviving daughters eventually wanted answers from her about what had happened. Prosecutors also said the plea agreement spared the surviving children and their relatives from having to endure a trial.

The case remains a tragic example of how quickly a family crisis can turn into devastating violence. Most importantly, three very young children were placed in an extremely dangerous situation, one child lost her life, and two others survived with serious injuries.