Gallery Furniture fire suspect ruled incompetent

Robert Gillham accused of setting fire in 2009

Robert Gillham

HOUSTON – A man accused of setting a massive fire at Gallery Furniture's warehouse has been ruled incompetent to stand trial.

Robert Gillham was charged with criminal mischief in connection with the four-alarm fire on May 21, 2009.

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Officials said a court-appointed expert deemed Gillham to be unlikely to regain competency. A formal hearing will be held next week and Gillham will then be sent to a mental health facility for an indeterminate amount of time, officials said.

If Gillham ever regains competency, he could face trial on the charge, court officials said.

Gillham was fired from Gallery Furniture in 2007. Investigators said Gillham set the fire because he was angry about being terminated.

The fire destroyed the store's warehouse. The fire did not spread to the showroom, but it sustained extensive damage because sprinklers inside it went off.

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