Man found guilty of burning female's underwear

GUILDERLAND — After a trial, a Slingerlands man, who burned a female victim’s lingerie, was found guilty of arson on Sept. 28 in Albany County Court in front of Judge Peter Lynch, according to the district attorney’s office.

Jeremy P. McGowan, 39, was arrested on Oct. 19, 2014, at 407 Vesper Court, after member of the Guilderland Police Department, Westmere Fire Department, Fort Hunter Fire Department, and McKownville Fire Department responded to a call at the address at approximately 3:08 a.m.

After the fire was extinguished, an investigation determined that McGowan, during a domestic dispute, had opened one of the female victim’s dresser drawers, removed her lingerie, placed in it the bathtub in the master bathroom, and lit it on fire before leaving the house, according to a press release from the Albany County District Attorney’s Office.

The fire, said the release, grew substantially within minutes, and caused damage to the bathtub and surrounding areas.

There were three people in the house but no injuries as a result of the fire, according to the Guilderland Police report.

McGowan was arrested for second-degree arson, first-degree reckless endangerment, and second-degree criminal mischief, all felonies, and fifth-degree arson, a misdemeanor.

He was found guilty last month of one count of fourth-degree arson, a felony, and faces one-and-one-third years to four years in prison when sentenced on Nov. 19.

Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Cheryl Fowler is prosecuting the case.

More Guilderland News

  • Peter Golden described the optimism he felt in his youth with Kennedy’s election: “The country’s going to move again … we’re going to dance on the moon and all these things people felt when he got elected — and quite the opposite of course is what happened. I wanted to try and explain that feeling of loss to my son and to my daughter-in-law and why their parents would look back in a different way than they do.”

  • The year 2024 was a time for both the town of Guilderland and the school district to look forward.

  • The brawl was filmed and the video posted to social media. The video shows a man wearing a yellow jacket labeled “Security” standing back as the fight unfolds. Then a burly police officer, wearing a vest labeled “K-9 Unit,” wades into the melée, breaking up the fight.

The Altamont Enterprise is focused on hyper-local, high-quality journalism. We produce free election guides, curate readers' opinion pieces, and engage with important local issues. Subscriptions open full access to our work and make it possible.