2 firefighters die after ‘serial arsonist’ torches nail salon to commit insurance fraud

Two months after she was found guilty on charges including second-degree murder, assault and arson, 46-year-old Thu Hong Nguyen learned this week that she will serve a combined 74 years behind bars in consecutive sentences.

According to Fox News, two firefighters died in 2015 while battling a blaze she started at her Missouri, nail salon in an effort to commit insurance fraud.

During her trial, prosecutors presented evidence that the defendant used acetone and isopropyl alcohol as an accelerant for the blaze.

The two Kansas City firefighters, 43-year-old Larry Leggio and 39-year-old John Mesh, died when a wall collapsed and fell onto them.

Their loved ones spoke out during the trial.

Leggio’s wife said that the arson led to “so much” being “stolen from each of our lives.”

Mesh’s brother said the community “lost a father, a son, a brother, a husband, an uncle and a beloved friend of so many.”

At one point during this testimony, Ngyuen complained of breathing difficulties and required assistance from emergency personnel.

The sentencing hearing continued after a short delay for the medical treatment.

Nguyen’s attorney indicated she will be appealing the conviction at some point in the near future.

The court also heard about a previous conviction for a similar crime in 2013, leading prosecutors to refer to her as a “serial arsonist.”

Reports indicate she has been paid more than a quarter of a million dollars in fraudulent insurance claims.

[Featured image: Thu Hong Nguyen, Jackson County Detention Center]