Man Sentenced in Boardinghouse Fire

A man was sentenced to 45 years in prison for his role in a boardinghouse fire in Roanoke, Va., that killed six people. Brian E. Jackson, 22, was convicted in June of murder and arson for helping set the fire in May 1998 to avenge the shooting death of his cousin. The jury recommended Jackson serve 20 years for each murder conviction and five years for arson--the minimum sentence available under the law. But Roanoke Circuit Judge Clifford R. Weckstein ruled that the sentence would be suspended after 45 years and five months.